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Waverly Murder-Suicide Kills Mother, Sons, Grandmother

Published 5 January 2026

In Waverly, Tennessee, a 32-year-old nurse practitioner fatally shot her two young sons and their grandmother before taking her own life in a suspected quadruple murder-suicide, authorities reported. The bodies were discovered on the morning of January 2 during a welfare check at a home on East Little Richland Road by deputies from the Humphreys County Sheriff's Office.

The victims were identified as 4-year-old Arius Thompson, 13-year-old Isaiah Johnson, 88-year-old Evelyn Johnson, and Heather Thompson, the mother of the boys and granddaughter of Evelyn. All four sustained fatal gunshot wounds, according to investigators. Preliminary evidence indicates that Heather Thompson shot the three family members before turning the gun on herself, with no signs of forced entry or involvement by anyone outside the household.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis, who confirmed the details at a press conference, stated that the family had lived in the area their entire lives and that he personally knew them. "Here again, small town America. Here again, I know the families. So, we're going to do right by them," Davis said, emphasizing the community's commitment to respecting the victims. He...

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