SAN DIEGO – A local man accused of fatally shooting his wife in his Skyline-area home made a video appearance before a judge this afternoon. This comes just days after officers responded to a call of a 78-year-old woman suffering several gunshot wounds.

On Wednesday afternoon, 84-year-old Mikal Ahmad entered a not guilty plea along with a request for medical attention through his public defender. He has been charged with murder along with an allegation of personal use of a firearm.

He has been remanded without bail with a maximum exposure of 50 years to life.

According to the San Diego Police Department, just before 8 a.m. Monday, officers responded to a report of a domestic violence/assault with a deadly weapon along Siena Street. Mildred Ahmad died at the scene after she was allegedly shot by her elderly husband Mikal Ahmad.

Deputy District Attorney Carrie Johnson spoke with media Wednesday on behalf of the family.

“It is extremely sad, it is something that we take seriously, I myself I’m a part of a team of the family unit at the District Attorney’s Office. I specialize in this. We do encourage people to report issues of domestic violence to the police, to our office, when things arise because we want to be proactive in that nature.”

Homicide detectives investigating the incident believe the shooting occurred during an argument between the couple. A family member, discovered the shooting, took the gun from the male and then called police. The firearm has been collected as evidence.

“As an officer here to support them we have an amazing victims advocate teams that work with our victims and or victims’ families as does the San Diego Police Department and they really stepped up as they do in all cases to be there for the family, and they hope to continue to do so,” Johnson said.

A readiness conference is set for Feb. 21 with a preliminary hearing set for Feb. 23.