Briseis Aljumaily, Audrie Quinn Cooper-Fortner, Gabriella Aljumaily, Evelyn Rose "Evie" Cooper-Fortner
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CANDID ID: TN_23_1556
AGE
15   years
STATE
Tennessee
DATE OF DEATH
1/29/2023
DEATH RECORDS
Not Available
STATE REPORTS
Not Available
SUMMARY OF DEATH
On January 29, 2023, in Luttrell, Union County, Tennessee, Charles Damon Aljumaily, 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 — using a .45 caliber Sig Sauer handgun he had purchased in 2013. He then set fire to the home near the dining room area and fatally shot himself. All four children died from gunshot wounds, and forensic evidence confirmed they had not breathed in soot, meaning they were dead before the fire started. Charles' wife had left the home around noon to go shopping in Knoxville. Charles had been diagnosed with borderline bipolar disorder, had stopped taking his medication, and had expressed paranoid ideation and suicidal thoughts in the months leading up to the incident. The front door deadbolt was found locked from the inside, and there was no evidence of an intruder. The District Attorney determined no criminal charges could be filed because 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 firearm. 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 (WBIR) corroborates with specific wound descriptions for each child.

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 fatally shot. Document 1 (WATE) states: "autopsies and ballistic evidence indicate that all four children were shot before the house caught fire." Document 2 (WBIR) provides specific wound details: "Audrie died from two gunshot wounds to the head, and Evelyn died from two, possibly three, gunshot wounds to the head... Briseis died from a gunshot wound to the head, and Gabriella died from two gunshot wounds to the torso."

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?

This is explicitly a murder-suicide. Document 1 (WATE) states: "Charles Aljumaily shot four children and killed himself based on evidence found by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents." Document 2 (WBIR) states: "the manner of death being homicide" for the children and "the manner of death being suicide" for Charles Aljumaily. The memorandum states: "it is not conceivable that someone could shoot themselves twice in the head," confirming Charles' single gunshot wound was self-inflicted.

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 two of the four child victims. 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."

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 two of the four child victims — Audrie and Evie Cooper-Fortner — as explicitly stated in Document 1 (WATE): "Charles Aljumaily, the father of Briseis Aljumaily and Gabriella Aljumaily and grandfather to Audrie and Evie Cooper-Fortner." As their grandfather (not parent), he qualifies as another adult relative involved in the death.

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)?

The Cooper-Fortner children (Audrie, 9 and Evie, 5) were grandchildren of Charles Aljumaily, living in his home. Document 2 (WBIR) states that Charles' wife left the house "to meet her adult daughter and go to a store in Knoxville," suggesting the adult daughter (likely the mother of the Cooper-Fortner children) did not live in the home. The children texted Charles' wife at 2:08 PM "asking when she would be home," indicating the home was their residence. This implies the Cooper-Fortner children were living with their grandparents rather than their biological 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?

Charles Aljumaily's mental health is extensively referenced across all documents. Document 1 (WATE) states: "Aljumaily was diagnosed with borderline bipolar disorder" and that "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 "wanted to harm himself but was afraid to because of how that would affect his salvation" and "felt like ending it." 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."

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 not fully addressed by preceding questions: (1) The front door deadbolt was found in a locked position after being breached by firefighters, indicating no intruder involvement (Document 1: "the deadbolt on the home's front door remained in a locked position after it had been breached by firefighters"). (2) Forensic evidence showed the victims had not breathed in soot from the fire, confirming all deaths occurred before the fire was set (Document 2: "evidence showed the victims hadn't breathed in soot from the fire"). (3) The perpetrator stopped taking his psychiatric medication — Document 1 states he "was on medication, but stopped taking it because he did not like how it made him feel." (4) A narrow timeline of events is established: at 2:08 PM, Audrie and Evelyn texted Charles' wife asking when she'd be home; the fire was reported just after 2:30 PM; and minutes before the fire, Charles told a relative by phone that "it's bad right now, it's not good right now." (5) No criminal charges could be brought because the perpetrator was deceased. (6) The fire was determined to have started in or around the dining room at the back of the home, indicating deliberate arson.

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