Charles Slacks Jr, an army veteran, killed his three children and another man at his wife’s South Carolina home before turning the gun on himself. The police said that the murder-suicide happened around 10 pm on Tuesday. 

Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker identified the children as Aayden Holliday-Slacks, 5, Aason Holliday-Slacks, 6, and Ava Holliday, 11. While Aayden and Aason were his children, Ava was his stepdaughter.

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The police have not identified the other man Slacks shot. Per reports, they are trying to find out the 38-year-old’s next of kin. However, the police confirmed that the man had no connection with Slacks’ ex-wife, beyond professional.

Who was Charles Slacks Jr.?

Charles Slacks Jr, 42, was a former army veteran. Per reports, he was assigned to the US Army Central at Shaw Air Force base, where he was employed in ammunition logistics.

According to Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III, Slacks Jr first shot his ex-wife’s co-worker in the house’s backyard. He then entered his ex-wife’s residence using a spare key, ran upstairs to where the three children were sleeping, and shot them dead. 

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His ex-wife, identified as Aletha Holliday, could not report the emergency immediately as her phone was upstairs. She ran to her dead coworker in the backyard to use his phone and call 911. She reportedly heard Slacks Jr shoot the three children upstairs. 

Slacks Jr then tried to shoot his ex-wife too, but she somehow escaped and he then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide in the stairs.   

“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,” the police chief said.