On April 11, 2023, 14-year-old Sakenlo Shawn Steele Jr. was shot and killed by his mother, Ethel Syretha Steele (age 40), inside their home at 3140 Brookhill Drive in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The mother shot all three of her children — beginning with the youngest daughter Sakendra (9), then older daughter Sakenya (12), and finally Sakenlo — before turning the gun on herself in a murder-suicide. The shootings were witnessed in real-time via a FaceTime call by a man believed to be the children's father, who then called 911. Police responded at approximately 11:54 a.m. and forced entry into the locked home. The family had recently returned from a vacation in Florida, and the children were homeschooled by their mother, who was described as a nurse and single parent.
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?
The medical examiner report (NC_23_973.pdf) lists the cause of death as "Gun." The journalnow.com article states: "A mother shot her three children inside a home on the south side of Winston-Salem." The hsinvisiblechildren.org source confirms the children "were shot to death as part of a murder-suicide by their mother, Ethel Steele."
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)
The child was shot to death by his mother. The journalnow.com article states: "The boy was the last of the children to be shot." The medical examiner report lists the cause of death as "Gun" and manner as "Homicide."
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?
Multiple sources explicitly describe this as a murder-suicide. The journalnow.com headline reads "Mother kills three children, then herself in murder-suicide in Winston-Salem." The hsinvisiblechildren.org source states the children "were shot to death as part of a murder-suicide by their mother." The Daily Mail article describes it as "a suspected murder-suicide shooting."
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?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
All sources consistently identify the mother, Ethel Syretha Steele, as the perpetrator. The journalnow.com article states: "A mother shot her three children inside a home... The mother then apparently shot herself." The hsinvisiblechildren.org source confirms the children "were shot to death as part of a murder-suicide by their mother, Ethel Steele." She is identified as the children's biological mother throughout all sources.
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)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
The hsinvisiblechildren.org source explicitly states: "The children were homeschooled." It further notes the mother was described as "a single mother who homeschooled her three kids."
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)?
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?
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 sources. The shooting was witnessed in real-time via FaceTime by an unidentified man, likely the children's father, who then called 911. The journalnow.com article states: "The person at the other end of the call witnessed the shootings." The hsinvisiblechildren.org source adds: "A man on FaceTime with Steele at the time of the murders, likely the children's father, called 911." Additionally, the children's godfather reported the murders took place "immediately after the family's return from a vacation in Florida." The mother was described as a nurse and single mother who homeschooled her children. Notably, the article also situates this event in the context of a rising trend: "This year, North Carolina already is nearly halfway toward its 2022 total of 20 murder-suicide incidents involving firearms" and "Nationally, last year's total of 670 murder-suicides involving guns was the most ever recorded in a single year."
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