Carolina Forest Elementary teacher, 2 children found dead after shooting in home, officials say

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - A mother and her two children are dead after a shooting in a Carolina Forest neighborhood, according to Horry County Coroner’s Office.

The coroner’s office confirmed that three people in total were dead after a shooting incident Wednesday afternoon in the area of Centennial Circle, located off Carolina Forest Boulevard.

The office later identified the woman who died as 42-year-old Laura Moberley and the children as 11-year-old Eric Moberley and 8-year-old Emily Moberley.

Officials said officers with the Horry County Police Department responded to the area at around 1:45 p.m. for a welfare check.

An incident report shows that officers tried to make contact with the people inside but there was no answer. Officers then forced entry at the front door and that’s when they “located the suspect and 2 victims inside the home unresponsive and not breathing,” according to the incident report.

The coroner’s office said officers found all three people died of gunshot wounds. It’s also believed the incident happened at around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

“Our community is hurting today, and that is undeniable,” the Horry County Police Department said in a statement. “We ask that you be kind to one another - you may not know who has been impacted by this tragedy.”

Horry County Schools confirmed that Laura Moberley was a Reading Loss Interventionist at Carolina Forest Elementary School. She was hired by the district in 2018.

The school district added that Emily was a 3rd-grade student at Carolina Forest Elementary School and Eric was in 7th grade at Ten Oaks Middle School.

A mother of three whose youngest son had Laura as his reading specialist teacher just last year said Laura impacted her son’s education for the better.

Brittany Kinneer reflected on the first moment she ever met her son’s teacher.

“All of a sudden I heard this energetic voice that was like, there’s my favorite little reader, and I turn around and she had Brady in a big bear hug, and she just full of compliments of Brady and and you know just so full of life and such a kind heart,” Kinneer said.

Horry County Schools released this statement on Thursday morning:

We are at a loss for words after learning of the tragic incident that affected an entire family with ties to Horry County Schools. We lift our strongest prayers for the Moberley family and for everyone who knew them. We encourage our community to keep our students and staff in their thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.

Our district has a team of counselors made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel at difficult times such as this. Our counselors are available at the affected schools for any student or employee who may need or want assistance surrounding this tragedy.

The Horry County Police Department, Horry County Fire Rescue, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Child Fatality Unit and the Horry County Coroner’s Office are working together to continue the investigation into the shooting and also provide support to those in need.

“Our thanks go out to our public safety partners who assisted at the scene, provided aid for our teams and continue to serve this community,” Horry County police stated.

The investigation is ongoing but HCPD does not believe there is any threat to the community.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help William Moberley, Laura’s husband and the father of Eric and Emily, pay for funeral expenses.

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