Briseis Aljumaily, Audrie Quinn Cooper-Fortner, Gabriella Aljumaily, Evelyn "Evie" Rose Cooper-Fortner
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CANDID ID: TN_23_1559
AGE
5   years
STATE
Tennessee
DATE OF DEATH
1/29/2023
DEATH RECORDS
Not Available
STATE REPORTS
Not Available
SUMMARY OF DEATH
On January 29, 2023, Charles Damon Aljumaily, age 52, shot and killed four children — his daughters Briseis Aljumaily (15) and Gabriella Aljumaily (5), and his grandchildren Audrie Quinn Cooper-Fortner (9) and Evelyn Rose Cooper-Fortner (5) — at their home at 380 Clinch Valley Road in Luttrell, Union County, Tennessee. Aljumaily used a .45 caliber Sig Sauer handgun registered to him to shoot all four children, then set fire to the home near the dining room area, and fatally shot himself in the head. His wife was away running errands at the time. Firefighters and the sheriff's office responded after 2:30 p.m. and found all five individuals deceased inside the locked home. Autopsies confirmed all four children died of gunshot wounds (manner of death: homicide) and that Aljumaily died of a single gunshot wound to the head (manner of death: suicide). Evidence showed the victims had not breathed in soot, confirming they were dead before the fire. Aljumaily had been diagnosed with borderline bipolar disorder, had stopped taking his medication, expressed suicidal ideation, and claimed there was 'a devil in his head attacking him.' No criminal charges were filed as the perpetrator was deceased.
Contexts/Conditions

Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?

Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?

Is there any mention of a firearm incident?

All four children were killed by gunshots from a .45 caliber Sig Sauer handgun. Document 1 (WATE) states: "Autopsies determined that all four were killed by gunshots from a .45 caliber Sig Sauer handgun, which was found near Charles Aljumaily." Document 2 (WVLT) confirms: "the TBI investigation found that all four children had been shot by Charles Damon Aljumaily with the handgun being found directly under the body of Aljumaily."

Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?

Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)

All four children were shot and killed. Document 3 (WBIR) details: "Audrie died from two gunshot wounds to the head, and Evelyn died from two, possibly three, gunshot wounds to the head. They said Briseis died from a gunshot wound to the head, and Gabriella died from two gunshot wounds to the torso." Document 1 (WATE) states: "autopsies and ballistic evidence indicate that all four children were shot before the house caught fire."

Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?

Is there any mention of medical neglect?

Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?

Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?

Charles Aljumaily shot and killed four children and then killed himself. Document 1 (WATE) states: "Charles Aljumaily shot four children and killed himself based on evidence found by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents." Document 3 (WBIR) states: "a man shot and killed four children on Jan. 29 before he set his Union County house on fire and took his own life." The Regional Forensic Center determined the children's manner of death was homicide and Charles Aljumaily's manner of death was suicide.

Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?

Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?

Is there any mention of sexual abuse?

Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?

Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?

Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?

Individuals Involved

Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?

Was a biological father involved in the death?

Charles Aljumaily was the biological father of Briseis Aljumaily (15) and Gabriella Aljumaily (5). Document 1 (WATE) states: "Charles Aljumaily, the father of Briseis Aljumaily and Gabriella Aljumaily and grandfather to Audrie and Evie Cooper-Fortner, is believed to have shot all four before setting the house fire and shooting himself." He shot and killed his own biological children.

Was a biological mother involved in the death?

Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?

Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?

Was a foster parent involved in the death?

Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?

Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)

Charles Aljumaily was the grandfather of Audrie Cooper-Fortner (9) and Evie Cooper-Fortner (5). Document 1 (WATE) explicitly identifies him as the "grandfather to Audrie and Evie Cooper-Fortner." He shot and killed his grandchildren as well as his biological children.

Was a sibling involved in the death?

Child Characteristics

Was the child adopted?

Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?

Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?

Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?

Audrie Cooper-Fortner (9) and Evie Cooper-Fortner (5) were found dead in their grandfather Charles Aljumaily's home. Document 3 (WBIR) states Charles' wife "left the house around 12 p.m. on Jan. 29 to meet her adult daughter and go to a store in Knoxville," suggesting the adult daughter (likely the Cooper-Fortner children's mother) did not live at the home. Meanwhile, the Cooper-Fortner children were at the house. Document 3 also notes that Audrie and Evelyn sent a text at 2:08 p.m. asking when the wife would be home, suggesting they were accustomed to being at the residence. This implies the Cooper-Fortner children were living with their grandparents rather than a parent.

Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)

Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)

Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?

Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?

Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?

Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?

Parent/Caregiver Factors

Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?

Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?

Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?

Multiple documents reference Charles Aljumaily's mental health. Document 1 (WATE) states: "Aljumaily was diagnosed with borderline bipolar disorder. They reported he had been paranoid recently and told them for the last few months that there was 'a devil in his head attacking him.' He also reportedly said he wanted to harm himself but was afraid to because of how that would affect his salvation." Document 1 also states: "A relative also told a TBI agent that they suspected Aljumaily of being bipolar and that he was on medication, but stopped taking it because he did not like how it made him feel." Document 3 (WBIR) corroborates: Charles' wife told agents "he wanted to harm himself, but was afraid to because of how that would affect his salvation."

Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Notable Details

Several notable details emerge from the documents. First, the perpetrator Charles Aljumaily had been diagnosed with borderline bipolar disorder and stopped taking his medication because he did not like how it made him feel, representing a mental health treatment failure preceding the killings. Second, the fire was deliberately set after the shootings to conceal the crime; Document 3 (WBIR) notes that "evidence showed the victims hadn't breathed in soot from the fire," confirming all deaths occurred before the fire. Third, Document 1 (WATE) notes "the deadbolt on the home's front door remained in a locked position after it had been breached by firefighters," indicating the perpetrator locked the home from inside. Fourth, this was a mass casualty event involving four children aged 5 to 15 killed in a single incident. Fifth, no criminal charges were filed because the perpetrator was deceased, as stated by DA Effler: "no criminal charges will be brought because Charles Aljumaily is dead." Finally, Document 3 notes a text message was sent by Audrie and Evelyn at approximately 2:08 p.m. asking when the wife would be home, indicating the children were alive shortly before the killings occurred around 2:30 p.m.

These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.
Lives Cut Short