Ashley C. Guimont of Coram, charged in fatal shooting of boyfriend Alex Carter, was in a state of 'absolute fear,' attorney says

A Coram woman who prosecutors allege fatally shot her live-in boyfriend in the early hours of July Fourth was in a state of “absolute fear” at the time, her lawyer said.

Ashley C. Guimont, 44, was arraigned in First District Court in Suffolk County on a second-degree murder charge Saturday after the prosecution said she shot Alex Carter, 47, with a 9 mm handgun at their home on Townehouse Drive on Friday. Guimont remained at the scene, where a gun was found on the kitchen counter and a 9 mm shell casing near the victim, prosecutors said. According to the criminal complaint, the shooting took place around 2:30 a.m.

The prosecution said Guimont, who appeared in court in a white hooded jumpsuit, has claimed the shooting was committed in self-defense because Carter was strangling her, but that the explanation was inconsistent with some of the evidence.

Her lawyer, Michael Alber, of Huntington Station, told the court Guimont had marks on her face and that her neck was swelling.

“It is our position that no crime was committed here, while tragic,” he said.

After the arraignment, Alber said in an interview with Newsday that the history and circumstances of the parties would “show that Miss Guimont had absolute fear during this incident.” He declined to detail that history, saying the courtroom would be a better setting to speak in more detail.

“I think it’s important to understand that the reaction point for somebody under trauma, and circumstances, may be different,” Alber said. “These cases are easy to Monday morning quarterback, but not for a domestic violence victim or somebody that’s experiencing intense trauma.”

Alber said he had not yet seen the government’s evidence, but believes his client will be found innocent.

“I look forward to seeing evidence in this case that really purports to be what happened,” the attorney said. “We know that things happened here, and we know the level of trauma that Miss Guimont experienced, particularly prior to this incident.”

Alber noted that a domestic violence victim is not always quick to report incidents to law enforcement.

He reserved his bail application. Guimont is scheduled to appear in court next on July 9.

By Arielle Dollinger

arielle.dollinger@newsday.com@aridollinger

Arielle Dollinger joined Newsday as a staff reporter in 2022. Previously, she covered local and national news as a freelancer for The New York Times, Newsday and other outlets.