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A mother and her three children are dead following a suspected murder-suicide shooting in North Carolina Tuesday.
The shooting happened sometime before noon inside the family’s quiet suburban home in Winston-Salem, and saw cops flock to the grisly scene and remain there throughout the day.
Inside, cops found the body of 40-year-old Ethal Syretha Steele, as well as those of Sakenlo Shawn Steele Jr., 14, and sisters Sakenya Syretha Steele, 12, and Sakendra Syann Steele, 9.
Cops said the elder Steele died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and that her children were shot dead as well.
It is believed she shot and killed the kids before turning the gun on herself. Cops were called to the scene around 11:54 am, though it is unclear by whom. An unidentified man was seen sobbing outside the home later in the afternoon.
The shooting happened sometime before noon Tuesday morning inside the family’s quiet suburban home in Winston-Salem, seen here. It is believed 40-year-old Ethal Syretha Steele shot and killed the kids before turning the gun on herself
Cops flocked to the grisly scene around 11:54 am, remained there throughout the day
‘It’s a sad situation,’ Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough told bystanders who flocked to the scene on the 3100 block of Brookhill Drive Tuesday. ‘That’s all I can tell you.’
Other members of Kimbrough’s force also kept mum on details of the suspected murders, though some neighbors offered some insight on previous behavior from the Steeles while speaking to local reporters.
One unnamed resident, speaking to the The Winston-Salem Journal, described the family ‘very reclusive’ – with the three school-aged children only occasionally coming out to play with her kids.
Others showed shock over the sudden deaths in a normally quiet community, with residents describing the cul de sac where the family lived as safe, and even sleepy.
‘This is a quiet area, very quiet,’ another neighbor who also asked to not be identified told the paper.
Angela Terrill, speaking to local Fox affiliate Fox 8, expressed similar surprise.
‘This happened in my neighborhood. You don’t want to see this. You see this on the news, and it is another neighborhood.
‘For it to happen here in our neighborhood, is very concerning. It’s close to home.’
None of the neighbors mentioned the children’s father, who cops would not confirm Thursday was the one who made the late-morning call to cops.
Inside, cops found the body of 40-year-old Steele, as well as those of her children, Sakenlo Shawn Steele Jr., 14, and sisters Sakenya Syretha Steele, 12, and Sakendra Syann Steele, 9.
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Cops said the elder Steele died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and that her children were shot dead as well. The Winston-Salem Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division is handling the case
Other members of Kimbrough’s force also kept mum on details of the suspected murders, though some neighbors offered some insight on previous behavior from the Steeles while speaking to local reporters
The murders have rocked the normally quiet North Carolina community, with residents describing the cul de sac where the family lived as safe
Other members of Kimbrough’s force also kept mum on details of the suspected murders, though some neighbors offered some insight on previous behavior from the Steeles while speaking to local reporters
While he was not explicitly seen among the crowd of pedestrians, officers, and press outside the home Tuesday afternoon, deputies were seen comforting an unidentified, crying man at the scene.
As of 7pm Tuesday, it is still unclear how the man is connected to the incident.
Similarly, it is not known whether Ethal Steele lived with a spouse, or if she was still romantically linked to the children’s’ dad.
Cops would not confirm Tuesday that the siblings shared the same father.
They are still probing what led to the apparent murders, which likely occurred sometime in the morning, but could possibly have happened earlier.
Members of the Winston-Salem Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division handling the case would not say whether the caller who alerted them to the shooting had heard gunshots.
Neighbors questioned also added that they did not see or hear anything out of the ordinary in the early-morning hours, fueling speculation that the murders could have been carried out the previous night or even earlier.
Cops were not seen removing the bodies from the residence, and are likely still surveying the scene. Their investigation is still ongoing, with the case more than likely being treated as a murder-suicide.
Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough (seen here), speaking to bystanders flocked to the scene on the 3100 block of Brookhill Drive, called the scene ‘a sad situation.’ He told press: ‘That’s all I can tell you’
When contacted Tuesday evening, officers from the Winston-Salem department’s investigations division said there is currently no threat to the neighborhood, and they are not searching for any suspects.
They are asking members of the public with any relevant information on the case to contact the Crime Stoppers hotline, as the family’s bodies are transferred to a local coroner.
The children’s deaths are the 14th, 15th and 16th homicides in the North Carolina city this year,
