Tragic shooting deaths shake Varnell community

A small memorial stands Friday, April 24, 2015, at the Shell station gas pumps on Cleveland Highway in Varnell, Ga., where 37-year-old Christopher Eric Whitmore gunned down his 8-year-old son Grayden Lee and 27-year-old Melissa Ball before turning the weapon on himself Thursday night.
A small memorial stands Friday, April 24, 2015, at the Shell station gas pumps on Cleveland Highway in Varnell, Ga., where 37-year-old Christopher Eric Whitmore gunned down his 8-year-old son Grayden Lee and 27-year-old Melissa Ball before turning the weapon on himself Thursday night.
photo Officials work the scene after a killing in Whitfield County.

VARNELL, Ga. -- By Friday morning, a makeshift memorial of teddy bears, a single red rose, a cross, notes and cards stood beside gas pump islands 11 and 12 where three lives ended violently Thursday night.

People were talking about the tragedy all day Friday, according to Sangita Bavariya, who was the manager behind the counter at the Shell Super Cheap Market when 27-year-old Melissa Ball came in to buy a pack of L&M cigarettes.

That was just minutes before Ball and her son, 8-year-old Grayden Lee Whitmore, were shot dead at close range by the boy's father, 36-year-old Christopher Eric Whitmore, according to authorities.

The building contains both the Shell station and a McDonald's restaurant surrounded by a large concrete parking lot.

Christopher Whitmore parked in front of the store for a few minutes before moving his vehicle to the pumps where Ball had parked, Bavariya said. He never entered the store, she said.

Bavariya had started helping customers at the counter when she "heard the sound [of the shots] and saw everyone go outside," she said.

Outside, three people were dead. The shots only lasted three seconds, she estimated.

Bavariya called the incident "shocking."

Whitfield County Sheriff's Office investigators say Ball pulled up to a gas pump in her 2013 Ford Focus around 7 p.m. Thursday and Christopher Whitmore drove up and parked directly behind her, according to a statement issued by Sheriff Scott Chitwood.

They got out of their cars and walked to the rear passenger door of the 2010 Dodge that Christopher Whitmore was driving.

That's when Christopher Whitmore drew a handgun and shot their son in the back seat of his Dodge, then shot Ball, the sheriff's statement said.

Whitmore then turned the gun on himself, according to Chitwood.

photo Officials work the scene after a killing in Whitfield County.

All three were from the Beaverdale area of Whitfield County.

Grayden Whitmore was a second-grader at Beaverdale Elementary School, about five miles east of Varnell.

Whitfield County Schools spokesman Eric Beavers said Friday that counselors were on hand at the elementary school for anyone -- students or staff -- who needed help dealing with the tragedy, but no other activities were planned.

"We want it to be as normal a day as possible" as the school and community come to grips with the loss, Beavers said.

"We care deeply about every child, and we lost a member of our family," Beaverdale Elementary School Principal Cheri Mahan said. "Our counselors at the school are committed to helping our students and staff work through this tragedy."

Support poured in Friday from neighbors in the community for the school community and the families, officials said. Counseling will remain available if students or staff members need additional support over the next few days.

"We are saddened by the events that took place near our Cleveland Highway restaurant in Varnell, Ga. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims' families," McDonald's Director of Operations Chris Sparks said in a statement.

Chitwood said the couple had previous domestic problems and they were separated at the time of the incident.

At the gas pumps Friday morning, a 20-year-old father said he was drawn to the scene, where he stood reflecting on the teddy bear memorial, the police paint on the concrete and the sand spread to cover the signs of the slayings.

"We actually passed through here last night right before it happened," Bradley County, Tenn., resident Cody Poole said. The store is a frequent stop for his family of three.

"It bothers me because I have a kid myself; a two-and-half-year-old boy," Poole said, his emotions hidden behind his sunglasses. "I had heard about it and we drove by and saw the teddy bears here. I just had the impulse to get out."

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.

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