‘I wish I could just wake up’: Father’s soul ‘shattered’ after discovering what his nurse ex-wife did to their family

A nurse killed her two young sons and her grandmother before taking her own life in a tragic incident in Tennessee. Police found four bodies inside a home on January 2 during a welfare check. All victims died from gunshot wounds.

According to The Sun, the victims were 4-year-old Arius Thompson, 13-year-old Isaiah Johnson, and their great-grandmother, 88-year-old Evelyn Johnson. The boys’ mother, 32-year-old Heather Thompson, was also found dead. Police believe Heather Thompson shot her sons and grandmother before killing herself.

Investigators say there is no sign that anyone else was involved in the deaths. They have not shared why this happened. Records show Heather Thompson worked as a nurse at Ascension Saint Thomas Three Rivers Hospital in Waverly. She had a master’s degree from Walden University.

The sheriff knew the family personally

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis became emotional when talking about the tragedy. He said he knew the family personally and they had lived in Waverly their whole lives. Davis mentioned how the small community was still dealing with a factory explosion that killed 16 people. He promised to treat the family with respect during this difficult time.

Jeremiah Thompson, the children’s father, was separated from their mother. He shared his pain online, writing that he missed his sons and loved them. “As a father, it hurt and shattered my soul to hear my sons Arius(Ari), and Isaiah have been taken from me and are no longer with us.They were just babies. Every second of today, I wish I could just wake up.” Many people felt cheated after discovering this kind of devastating news through social media posts.

Thompson started a GoFundMe page to pay for funeral costs and to bring his sons back to New Mexico, where he lives. The fundraiser has raised nearly $11,000 of its $16,000 goal. Thompson wrote about learning his sons had died, saying it hurt and broke his soul.

He called them babies and said he wished he could wake up from this nightmare. Thompson shared an update saying he and his sister were going to Tennessee to bring his boys home. Hundreds of people sent messages of support and prayers to the grieving father.

Similar tragedies have happened in the United States before. In July 2024, a five-year-old girl ran for help after discovering what happened to her family when her father shot three family members before killing himself. The victims were her mother, grandmother, and aunt at their Florida home.