Local 24 was at 201 Poplar when Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies arrived with Shanynthia Gardner in custody. Garnder is the woman who stands accused of fatally stabbing four of her children Friday.
Authorities whisked her inside the Criminal Justice Center, out of our camera’s view, but Local 24 confirmed her arrival. Local 24 also met with Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell in his office.
Mayor Luttrell called the stabbing “catastrophic” for the community and family went on to say he recalled from his days as Sheriff of Shelby County that a double homicide happened at or in the vicinity of the apartment complex where the children were found.
“When I first heard it was like a cold chill over me. It is a tragedy. Children dying is always a sad occasion,” Luttrell said.
Mayor Luttrell also emphasized services like Universal Parenting Places (UPP) and Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) are available to work with families and children.
“Certainly we want to be so very supportive of our law-enforcement handling the investigation and the district attorney and give them the support needed to get to the bottom of this and see what is the catalyst of this atrocious action. But seeing then what is the opportunity to lift up the community.”
