North Carolina Mother Shoots, Kills Her 3 Kids, Herself During FaceTime Call, Police Say

A North Carolina mother shot and killed her three children before taking her own life while on a FaceTime call with another individual, police said.

Police responded to reports of a shooting at a house in Winston-Salem on Tuesday afternoon. The officers had to force their way into the house. They found the bodies of the four people, including 40-year-old Ethel Steele, her daughters Sakendra, 9, and Sakenya, 12, and son Sakenlo, 14, Winston-Salem Journal reported.

Ethel was reportedly on a FaceTime call with an unidentified person, who witnessed the entire tragic incident.

Ethel killed Sakendra first and then she shot Sakenya twice in the chest. She then killed her son, before taking her own life, police said. The mother suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Law&Crime.

Authorities believe no one else is involved in the shooting. Police also confirmed there was no danger to the community or any search for a suspect.

Surviving members of the family expressed shock and sadness at the devastating turn of events. Ethel's aunt Wanda Caton told WGHP the family has a lot of questions as to what led to it.

"She was a sweet caring mother who loved her children, and, as a nurse, she cared for her family and her patients from the bottom of her heart. This was not representative of the Ethel that we know, her friends know, her teachers know," Caton said.

She described Ethel as a well-educated and loving mother who took care of her children.

"What drove this scene, we don't know, but we ask, from the bottom of our hearts, let the police do their jobs," Caton noted. "Don't have the rumors going. If you don't know her, don't make a comment. That will help make things easier for everyone, and I thank you for just understanding that Ethel was a beautiful, well-educated, loving mother, loving sister, loving daughter, who took care to the utmost of her children."

Ethel's brother Dmon Robinson also expressed shock over the incident.

"The kids were outgoing," Robinson told the outlet. "We have a cheerleader. We have an artist, also an anime artist. She was fine. I mean, this was so unexpected. I feel like I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up. It's the only sister I have."

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.