ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A family and their community are grieving after Asheville police say a man shot and killed his ex-girlfriend and two of her five kids.
Police said Maurice Garner shot and killed Erica Smith and her 15-year-old son Keithan Whitmire and 13-year-old daughter Harmony Smith, and then killed himself on Wednesday.
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(Erica Smith)
A candlelight vigil was held for Smith's family at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Asheville Saturday evening.
“I can’t put my head around it to take some beautiful people away,” a speaker said. “And not just my family, but this young brother's family too, cause somewhere this brother lost his way.”
Smith's brother said Smith and Garner had relationship issues, but he didn't realize how severe it was.
The Asheville City Schools, where the children attended, released this statement: "Their surviving siblings are just beginning their physical and emotional recovery. The family was, is, and will forever be part of our Asheville City Schools family."
Cox Media Group
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