In the late hours of a Saturday, on September 5, 2009, the quiet community of Holden, Louisiana, was shattered by a brutal act of domestic violence that claimed the life of 49-year-old Donna Winn Carter, a beloved mother, grandmother, and respected employee at North Oaks Medical Center. The tragedy unfolded at her rural home, where she was fatally shot by her estranged husband, 50-year-old Dennis Carter Sr.
This violent outburst was the culmination of a history of domestic disputes, with Donna having previously secured a restraining order against him. Friends and family were aware of the ongoing abuse, which had reportedly included a recent attack with a machete.
The night of the shooting, Dennis Carter Sr. not only took the life of his estranged wife but also murdered their 26-year-old son, Dennis Carter Jr., and their two-year-old grandson, Mason Carter. His daughter-in-law, Amber Carter, who was six months pregnant, was severely wounded but managed to escape the home with her 16-month-old son, who was unharmed in the attack. It is believed that Amber and her young son, Mason, may have attempted to flee from a second-story window. Inside the home, authorities discovered the bodies of Donna Carter and her son, Dennis Carter Jr. The lifeless body of little Mason Carter was found just outside the residence.
Following the horrific shootings, Dennis Carter Sr. fled the scene in his vehicle. Law enforcement officers spotted his car approximately 20 minutes after the initial call and attempted to pull him over. As police closed in, Dennis Carter Sr. took his own life, ending the deadly rampage. The incident left the local community in shock and mourning the loss of multiple generations of a single family. In the wake of the tragedy, Donna was remembered as a devoted wife, a loving mother and grandmother, a cherished sister, and a true friend to many who knew her. She was a parishioner at St. Margaret Catholic Church, and her death, alongside her son and grandson, left a profound void in the lives of her surviving family members and the community she had been a part of.
