Mother of Sumter shooting victims speaks out online after murders
The mother of three children shot to death in Sumter Tuesday thanked the community for its support after the shooting that left five dead including the alleged shooter.
“From our family… thank you for your prayers, condolences, and expressions of love,” Aletha Holliday posted to the social media site Thursday. “We just want to share beautiful pictures with you of Ava, Aason, and Aayden. We love them and will keep them alive in our hearts and minds. Please continue to pray for us.”
The post shares more than 30 photos of the children. It had 1,400 likes, 1,000 shares and more than 400 comments as of Thursday afternoon.
Police say Holliday witnessed her ex-husband Charles Slacks Jr. shoot and kill himself in her Sumter home after he shot and killed 5-year-old Aayden Holliday-Slacks, 6-year-old Aason Holliday-Slacks and their 11-year-old half-sister, Ava Holliday, as they slept in their beds.
Carlos Evans, 38, also died in the shooting, the Sumter County coroner has confirmed.
The comments under the post were overflowing with love and support for the Holliday family.
“Ava was in my 6th block class and she was a light to her fellow classmates,” said user and Alice Drive Middle School teacher Ryan Shirah. “She was so incredibly well-behaved and carried herself with both elegance and respect. She will always be remembered and greatly missed. Sending continuous prayers your way.”
Ava attended Alice Drive Middle School in Sumter, and Aayden and Aason attended Millwood Elementary School.
This story was originally published March 23, 2023 at 2:59 PM.
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