Father gunned down his sons, their half-sister in Sumter murder- suicide, police say
Around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Charles Slacks Jr. shot his two sons, aged 5 and 6, along with their half sister and another man inside the children’s Sumter home, police say. He then turned his gun on himself in front of his children’s mother, according to law enforcement.
These details were revealed at a news conference Wednesday afternoon by Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark. The five deaths involving current and former members of the military has shaken the city, which has had close ties with the military since 1941, Roark said.
“We’re not conditioned to bury children,” Roark said.
Slacks entered the home with a key and proceeded to the back of the house, where he fired several shots at a 38-year-old male, according to Roark. That victim’s name has not been released as the military is still getting in touch with next of kin, according to Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker.
Slacks proceeded upstairs, where the children were sleeping, with the mother of his children, Aletha Holliday, in pursuit. As she followed him up the stairway, Slacks pointed the weapon at her, Roark said. Blocked by Slacks — with her phone charging upstairs — the mother of three ran back outside to try to find the phone of the man who had been shot.
While unable to find it, she heard several shots. Holliday then ran back inside of the house, finding Slacks at the top of the stairs.
“He put the weapon to his head and committed suicide,” Roark said.
She discovered the bodies of her children: brothers 5-year-old Aayden Holliday-Slacks, 6-year-old Aason Holliday-Slacks and their 11-year-old half-sister, Ava Holliday.
Asked about motive, Roark said that the investigation was still in the very early stages, but theorized that Slacks and Holliday shared custody.
“Little children sleeping in their own bed.... lives taken by a father and a stepfather, that’s difficult to rationalize,” Roark said.
Slacks, who worked in intelligence while serving in the Army from 1999 to 2006, was reported to be a civilian employee at the nearby Shaw Air Force Base, according to Military.com. His LinkedIn page listed several previous civilian contracting roles connected to the armed forces, including as a firing range technician, a training specialist at Fort Bliss, Texas, and a weapons and tactics trainer in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Holliday, a 24-year veteran of the Army, is currently a culinary management sergeant major, according to her LinkedIn page.
None of the residents of the home were long-term residents of the community, Roark said. But while they came here through the military, he rejected any implication that the shootings were connected to the military backgrounds of the victims or shooter.
“This could happen in any community... in any family setting, unfortunately,” Roark said.
Sumter County School District Superintendent Dr. William Wright confirmed the children were students in district schools.
“Sumter School District is grieving the loss of three students. Two siblings attended Millwood Elementary School, and another sibling attended Alice Drive Middle School,” Wright said in a statement. “Our sincere condolences are extended to the family.”
“Our hearts are filled with sadness, and we will continue to lend support to one another during this time,” Wright said.
Autopsies are scheduled from Thursday to Saturday at MUSC in Charleston, Baker said.
This story was originally published March 22, 2023 at 4:54 PM.