More details have emerged about the killing of Shanta Singleton and two of her daughters who were shot and killed by 37-year-old Gabriel Jordan in St. Matthews, South Carolina, on Sunday, ABC 4 News reported.
Police told WACH that Singleton, 37, had broken up with Jordan and informed him that she was dating another man before the tragic incident occurred. Singleton and her four daughters went to Myrtle Beach with Singleton's new boyfriend to enjoy the hot weather on Sunday but realized Jordan was following them on their way home.
When the family made it back to their house in St. Matthews, Singleton told her daughters to go inside while she spoke with Jordan. According to The Times and Democrat, Singleton told Jordan their relationship was over, and he became enraged, going inside the house to get his gun.
Her daughters watched through the window as Jordan began to choke Singleton. The young girls ran outside to defend their mother before Jordan shot and killed Singleton.
To help their mother, Singleton’s 12-year-old daughter, Tre'vay Stroman, jumped on Jordan's back, but he shot and killed her as well.
Singleton’s 15-year-old daughter, Essence Stroman, ran inside, but Jordan chased after her and shot her to death. He also shot 18-year-old Shantasia Stroman in the arm before turning the gun on himself, according to The Times.
The fourth daughter, an unnamed 13-year-old, was unharmed, and Shantasia was rushed to a hospital where she was treated and released.
“Any incident involving the loss of life is tragic, but in this case the senseless violence is unimaginable. This entire family and the community are grieving over this senseless act. No one should be capable of this level of violence,” Calhoun County Sheriff Thomas Summers said on Facebook.
When police arrived, they found four bodies in the house, and, according to WACH, one of the children was Jordan's. A neighbor told The Times that Jordan and Singleton had been together on and off for years.
One of the children who survived the ordeal fled to a neighbor's house and told them what was happening. The neighbor, who was armed with a shotgun, encountered Jordan before he shot himself, WACH reported.
Family members of Singleton spoke to WLTX19 on Thursday about how she was a dedicated mother who did not deserve such a gruesome end.
"I promise you, God got an angel. He got an angel Sunday. She was such a loving and kind person, and the thing I loved about her so much was … her girls were her everything. She was just one of them moms that you try to figure out like, wow, you know? … An active mom in her kid's life," family member Regina Singleton said.
"Essence … her attitude was fierce from the time she was born. Girl loved her lipstick, and her makeup and her eyeshadow. She just was fun. Smart and fun and beautiful. Tre'vay, now that's my little fierce baby. She was the protector of the family," Regina said of the two children who were killed.
