In the quiet town of Saint Matthews, South Carolina, a domestic dispute escalated into a tragic and violent incident that claimed the life of 15-year-old Essence Stroman. On the evening of May 17, 2020, Calhoun County Sheriff's deputies responded to a residence to find a horrific scene. Essence, her 37-year-old mother Shanta Singleton, and her 12-year-old sister Trevay Stroman, had all been fatally shot.
The investigation revealed that the perpetrator was 37-year-old Gabriel Jordan, who
had been in a relationship with Shanta Singleton. Authorities reported that an argument between Jordan and Singleton turned violent. In the midst of the altercation, Jordan shot and killed Shanta and her two daughters, Essence and Trevay. Two other children at the home were able to escape; one was unharmed, while the other sustained a gunshot wound to the arm and was treated at a local hospital.
After carrying out the devastating attack on the family, Gabriel Jordan then turned the gun on himself, dying by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office investigated the case as a murder-suicide. The community was left to mourn the senseless loss of three lives, including that of young Essence, a student at Calhoun County High School who was remembered for her love of fashion, cheerleading, and dancing.
