
Phto: Abberly Crossing Apartment Homes
Man Kills Estranged Wife, Two Others in North Charleston Before Taking Own Life
NORTH CHARLESTON — A man fatally shot his estranged wife and two others before leaving with a 5-year-old child in a tragic domestic violence incident late Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The shooting occurred around 5 p.m. on Dec. 27 at Abberly Crossing Apartment Homes, a quiet residential complex near Patriot and Preserve boulevards, across from Joseph R. Pye Elementary School.
North Charleston Police Chief Ron Camacho said the couple was in the process of divorcing and described the incident as a case of domestic violence.
After the shooting, the suspect left the residence with an AR-15-style rifle and the child, according to a police news release. Witnesses at the scene provided a description of the suspect’s vehicle, which officers later located at his home on Briarstone Court, a foggy subdivision off Dorchester Road. This tragic act is just another of many gun related violence that has plagued South Carolina.

An officer stationed outside the suspect’s home saw the man emerge with the child. When confronted, the man placed the child down, instructed them to go to the officer, and then fatally shot himself, Camacho said.
The child was unharmed.
By 8 p.m., police vehicles and forensics teams remained on the scene, cordoning off the end of the block with caution tape. Neighbors gathered on their lawns as officers spoke with them, while investigators worked to process evidence.
The Dorchester County Coroner’s Office identified Saturday three people who were shot to death at the Ladson apartment complex.
Adrienne Seay, 38, her father, John F. Childs, 68, and her brother, John A. Childs, 36, were found dead inside an apartment on Patriot Boulevard on the evening of December 27. NCPD and the Dorchester County Coroner’s Office are investigating.
All three will undergo an autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Chief Camacho urged anyone experiencing mental distress to seek help and reminded the public that resources are available 24/7 through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
For additional updates, visit CC News Network.
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