SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — Law enforcement radios sounded on Friday: “Do we have any other units responding to this location?”
With blue flashing lights, deputies and first responders headed to the scene.
“Let’s start that way,” a deputy said.
It was at the Greens at Irene apartments where a 7-year-old ran for help while shouting his mom stabbed his sister.
“According to the suspect’s son, uh, the suspect is still inside with the 2-year-old,” a deputy on the scene told dispatchers.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said Shanynthia “Yari” Gardner was armed with a bloody knife.
“…units that’s making the scene, pull away from the scene until it’s safe,” a deputy advised his colleagues.
Law enforcement frantically searched for a key to the apartment.
“Stop by the front office and advise personnel to come around to this scene for an extra key to the entrance,” a law enforcement official said.
Deputies got into the apartment and discovered a brutal crime scene.
“I was just hoping it wasn’t the children that I knew,” a neighbor who knew the victims said.
Deputies found four children stabbed to death with their bodies scattered across the home.
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Their mother, Yari, was discovered with, what deputies called, superficial cuts on her neck and wrists.
“Go ahead and have medical–”
EMT’s rushed in to help, but the damage was already done.
“Go across the street with that,” a security guard said.
Private security kept people away as Gardner was taken into custody.
“…mother will be in squad car waiting for G.I.B. to make the scene,” was heard on the Memphis/Shelby County scanners.
Gardner was subsequently charged with several counts of murder and child abuse/neglect.
She is expected in court after the holiday.
