Funeral services set for three children killed in Sumter murder-suicide

Noah Feit
·2 min read

Funeral arrangements have been made for the three Sumter children who were killed in a murder-suicide.

A public viewing will be held this week, followed by a funeral service for 11-year-old Ava Holliday, 6-year-old Aason Holliday-Slacks and 5-year-old Aayden Holliday-Slacks, according to their obituaries on the Job’s Mortuary Inc. website.

The public viewing will be held from 2-7 p.m. Thursday at the Job’s Mortuary, at 312 South Main St. in Sumter.

On Friday, a 1 p.m. funeral service will be held at Christ Community Church, at 320 Loring Mill Road in Sumter.

Three siblings were killed in a murder-suicide in Sumter, S.C., on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. From left to right, the children are Ava Holliday, 11; Aason Holliday-Slacks, 6; and Aayden Holliday-Slacks, 5.
Three siblings were killed in a murder-suicide in Sumter, S.C., on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. From left to right, the children are Ava Holliday, 11; Aason Holliday-Slacks, 6; and Aayden Holliday-Slacks, 5.

On March 21, Charles Slacks Jr. fatally shot his two sons and their half-sister, the Sumter Police Department said.

“Little children sleeping in their own bed ... lives taken by a father and a stepfather, that’s difficult to rationalize,” Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark said.

Slacks also shot and killed Carlos Evans, a 38-year-old command sergeant major in the U.S. Army, before turning the gun on himself, according to the Sumter County Coroner’s Office.

There was no word on funeral services for Evans.

Command Sgt. Maj. Carlos Evans, 38, was killed in a shooting where three children also died.
Command Sgt. Maj. Carlos Evans, 38, was killed in a shooting where three children also died.

An Army veteran, Slacks recently began working as a civilian budget analyst with U.S. Army Central at Shaw Air Force Base, said Major Jason Welch, spokesman for the agency. Officials described Evans as Holliday’s co-worker.

Aletha Holliday, Slacks ex-wife and the mother of the three children, saw Slacks shoot and kill himself after he fatally shot the others.

On March 23, Holliday thanked the community for its support in the wake of the tragedy.

“From our family… thank you for your prayers, condolences, and expressions of love,” Aletha Holliday posted on Facebook. “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.”

Aletha Holliday is a 24-year veteran of the Army and is currently a culinary management sergeant major at Shaw and operates a bakery on the side, according to her LinkedIn page.

Aayden and Aason Hoilliday-Slacks were students at Millwood Elementary School in Sumter, and Ava Holliday was a sixth-grader at Alice Drive Middle School. Aayden was born in West Point, N.Y.; Aason in Honolulu, Hawaii; and Ava in Overland Park, Kansas, according to their obituaries.

“Sumter School District is grieving the loss of three students,” Sumter Superintendent William 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.”