> At a Glance
> – Heather Thompson, 32, fatally shot her two sons, her grandmother and herself inside a Waverly, Tenn., home on Jan. 2
> – The victims were Arius Thompson, 4, Isaiah Johnson, 13, and Evelyn Johnson, 88
> – Investigators say Thompson had no prior domestic-violence or mental-health calls on record
> – Why it matters: The tragedy has left the small rural community reeling and prompted local schools to deploy crisis counselors
A single welfare check uncovered a family massacre in rural Humphreys County, Tennessee, when deputies discovered four bodies-three generations shot to death inside a modest Waverly home.
The Discovery
Deputies responded to a welfare check Tuesday and found Heather Thompson dead from a self-inflicted gunshot after allegedly killing her sons and grandmother, Sheriff Chris Davis told WSMV.
Investigators believe the bodies had not lain inside the house for long before being discovered.
Victims Identified
The sheriff confirmed the dead are:
- Arius Thompson, 4
- Isaiah Johnson, 13
- Evelyn Johnson, 88
Both boys were Thompson’s sons; Johnson was her grandmother.
Community Reaction
> “Here again, small-town America. Here again, I know the families. So we’re going to do right by them,” Davis said at a press conference.
The county school district issued a brief statement acknowledging Isaiah as a student and said counselors will be on-site when classes resume Friday.
Fundraising Efforts
Two GoFundMe pages have launched to cover funeral costs:
- Biah Thompson, the boys’ father, hopes to “bring my boys back home to New Mexico” and has raised over $11,000 so far.
- Family friend Michelle Dahmous is collecting donations to “lay these beautiful souls to rest.”
> “Every second of today I wish I could just wake up,” the grieving father wrote on Facebook.
Investigation
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is assisting local authorities; no active threats to the community were reported.
Key Takeaways
- A 32-year-old mother appears to have shot her two young sons, her grandmother, and herself in a single incident
- The family were longtime residents of Humphreys County
- Schools will offer counseling to students and staff affected by the loss
- Authorities found no prior domestic-violence or mental-health calls tied to the home
As the tight-knit town mourns, officials urge anyone experiencing emotional distress to call or text 988 for 24-hour support.
