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On March 21, 2023, Charles Slacks Jr. (42) shot his three children at their South Carolina residence while they were sleeping, after which he turned the gun on himself. The same has been confirmed by law enforcement officials as well. Police have declared the tragic incident to be an apparent case of murder-suicide.
As per reports, Charles Slacks Jr. was assigned to the US Army Central at Shaw Air Force Base. Apart from the children, he also fatally shot another soldier (38). Authorities are yet to reveal the identity of the fellow soldier who died in the attack. They are currently trying to locate his next of kin.
The victim worked with Charles’ ex-wife during the incident. The ex-wife has been identified as Aletha Holliday and thir three children include Aayden Holliday-Slacks (5), Aason Holliday-Slacks (6), and Ava Holliday.
Charles Slacks Jr. allegedly killed his children in an apparent murder-suicide
On Tuesday, Charles Slacks Jr. reportedly killed three of his children while they were sleeping at their house in South Carolina. Charles allegedly had the keys to his ex-wife’s apartment and barged into the house at around 10 pm. According to Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark, Charles Slacks’ ex-wife witnessed him shoot down another soldier and then kill the children. Roark stated:
“Little children were sleeping in the comfort of their own bed.”
The woman panicked and reached out to grab the deceased soldier’s phone to call for help. Shortly after, she heard gunshots and noticed Charles at the top of the staircase before he shot himself to death. It was later discovered that the deceased soldier had no link to Aletha apart from her professional life. The motive behind Slacks’ action is yet to be revealed.
Roark added:
“Unfortunately, her cell phone was upstairs where the children were. When you have a situation where little children were sleeping in the comfort of their own bed, and in no fault of their own, had their life taken — particularly by a father and a stepfather. That’s difficult for us to rationalize.”
An investigation revealed that Charles Slacks Jr. was a civilian who was assigned to the US Army Central at Shaw Air Force Base. He was employed in ammunition logistics at the Air Force base as a Defense Department civilian.
Sumter County natives extend their condolences to the grieving family
Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker said:
“It was a long night. This is just an awful thing.”
Additionally, Sumter school system officials mentioned that two of the kids went to an elementary school in the county, while the other child attended a middle school. State Sen. Thomas McElveen described the incident as an “evil, tragic, and unthinkable act.” He further said:
“As a father, I am absolutely nauseated up here talking about it.”
Sumter County School District Superintendent Dr. William Wright offered condolences over the tragic incident on behalf of the school district. According to authorities, autopsies will be held from Thursday to Saturday in Charleston. The case is currently in the preliminary stages of an investigation.
