Crime

S.C. Mom Is Fatally Shot While Home with 5 Kids, Boyfriend Charged: 'Taken from Us Tragically'

Four children ran from a home and said their father shot their mother, authorities say

By

Published on December 15, 2022 04:04 PM

A South Carolina mom was fatally shot while she was home with her five kids, and her boyfriend has been charged.

According to a Lancaster County Sheriff's Office news release, 41-year-old Hurley Braddy, Jr., faces charges of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime in connection to the death of a 34-year-old woman.

WCNC-TV and WBTV-TV identified the woman as Christy Rozier, Braddy's girlfriend.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

According to the release, deputies responded to a call of a shooting at the couple's Kershaw, S.C., home Sunday.

The 911 caller informed dispatch that four children ran from a home and said their father shot their mother.

Upon deputies' arrival at Braddy and Rozier's home, Braddy was taken into custody without incident.

At the home, deputies discovered an unharmed 1-year-old sitting in a high-chair in the kitchen, while Rozier was found on the floor in a bedroom suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the release reads. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

"At this point in the investigation, we can only guess what sparked such a horrific act of violence in the presence of these children that ended in the shooting death of their mother," Sheriff Barry Faile said in a statement.

A GoFundMe launched to offset Rozier's funeral costs reads, in part, "Christy was taken from us tragically… she was a mother to 5 beautiful babies that have to continue on without her."

Authorities said relatives currently have custody of all five children, who range in age from 1 to 16 years old.

Braddy has been denied bond. It was unclear if he entered a plea to the charges or retained an attorney to comment on his behalf.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.