On a tragic day in December of 2020, the life of a young Caucasian boy, Riley James Bumgarner, aged 6, was cut short. In the quiet community of Williamsburg, West Virginia, a devastating house fire on December 8th claimed the lives of Riley and four other children. Riley, a kindergartener at Frankford Elementary, was remembered as a child full of life and a love for all sports, especially football.
He had a budding interest in music and was in the process of learning to play both the piano and the ukulele.
The horrific incident that took Riley's life also claimed his 7-year-old brother, Shaun Dawson Bumgarner, and their three half-siblings: 3-year-old Arikyle Nova Myers, 1-year-old Haiken Jirachi Myers, and 4-year-old Kian Matthew Myers. The boys were affectionately known together as "Team Shark". Their home on Flynn Creek Road was engulfed in flames, and while the fire was the immediate cause of the scene, the investigation revealed a more sinister story.
Law enforcement investigations concluded that the children's deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. The mother of three of the children, Oreanna Antionette Myers, was found deceased outside the home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It was determined that she had shot all five children before setting the house on fire. In the wake of this devastating event, no arrests were made as the sole suspect was also deceased. The community was left to mourn the immense loss of five innocent lives.
