2020 Williamsburg Massacre
Familicide and Mass Shooting
CLASSIFICATION: Mass Murder
LOCATION
Williamsburg, West Virginia
TIME PERIOD
December 8, 2020
VICTIMS
5 confirmed
8, 2020, incident in Williamsburg, West Virginia, 25-year-old Oreanna Myers committed a familicide, shooting and killing her five children, aged one to seven, with a .410 gauge shotgun before setting their home on fire and taking her own life. The tragedy unfolded around 2:30 p.m. when Myers picked up her children from a bus stop, and by 3:30 p.m., emergency services were alerted to the house fire. Her husband, Brian Bumgarner, was away during the incident due to personal circumstances. Three handwritten suicide notes were recovered from their vehicle, detailing her mental health struggles and confessing to the murders. This incident marks the deadliest mass shooting in West Virginia history, with all victims identified by December 12, 2020.
Oreanna Myers is believed to have been struggling with severe mental health issues, which may have contributed to her actions. Some speculate that she felt overwhelmed by her responsibilities as a mother and may have perceived her children as a burden. Additionally, there are theories suggesting that the incident was premeditated, given the arson aspect and the methodical way she executed the shooting before taking her own life.
The 2020 Williamsburg Massacre: A Tragic Tale of Familicide in West Virginia
On a cold December afternoon, the quiet community of Williamsburg, West Virginia, became the site of an unimaginable tragedy. On December 8, 2020, 25-year-old Oreanna Myers committed an act so horrific that it would mark the darkest moment in the state's history: the worst mass shooting West Virginia had ever seen.
The Incident
It was around 2:30 p.m. on that fateful day when Oreanna Myers picked up two of her children from the bus stop. Myers, the biological mother of three of the children and the stepmother to two others, took them back to their two-story home. What unfolded next was both shocking and devastating. Using a .410 gauge single-shot shotgun, she tragically shot and killed all five children, aged between one and seven. She then set the house ablaze in an act of arson. With the fire consuming the home, Myers stepped outside, leaving behind a scene of horror.
Near a picnic table, Myers took her own life with the same shotgun, ending the massacre in a murder-suicide. Her body was found with a haunting detail—a red line drawn across her face and the bridge of her nose, extending from ear to ear. It took authorities until December 12 to recover and identify all the victims.
At 3:30 p.m., emergency services were alerted to the fire. By the time fire crews arrived at 3:50 p.m., the home was badly damaged. Myers' lifeless body was discovered along the south side of the house just before 4:30 p.m.
Throughout this period, Myers' husband, Brian Bumgarner, was absent. He had been staying with family due to a car accident that left him needing rides to work, thus keeping him away from home for about ten days before the tragedy.
The Aftermath
The investigation that followed revealed three handwritten suicide notes left by Myers in the family car. One of these was a chilling confession, taking full responsibility for the murders and her suicide. The notes contained apologies to her husband and spoke of her struggles with mental health, stating, "This is no one’s fault but my own."
The tragedy prompted a closer examination of the events leading up to it. During a hearing on December 7, 2021, the Joint Committee on Children and Families questioned Child Protective Services (CPS) about their actions regarding the family. Four months before the shooting, on August 10, a dentist reported that one of the children had a large bruise and was afraid of his father. CPS was notified after the father was observed verbally abusing the child outside. However, the call was abruptly ended by the operator, and no investigation followed.
In response to this oversight, a protocol was introduced in October 2021 to ensure every call to CPS's centralized intake is recorded. Senator Stephen Baldwin took legislative steps to reform how CPS handles potential child crimes.
The tragedy also led to legal action against the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR). The biological mother of two of the children, removed from her care in 2016 due to alleged neglect, filed a lawsuit against the DHHR. She claimed that the department ignored multiple reports of abuse by Myers and her husband. The lawsuit also stated that Myers had previously attacked her, resulting in an arrest warrant that was allegedly ignored by the DHHR. In 2023, due to apparent mismanagement, the DHHR was ordered to be dissolved and restructured into three separate organizations.
Sources
For further reading, refer to the original Wikipedia article: 2020 Williamsburg massacre.
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Mass Shooting Incident
Oreanna Myers shot and killed five children before committing suicide.
House Fire
Myers set her house on fire after the shooting.
911 Call
911 was alerted about the fire at 3:30 p.m.
Victim Identification
All victims' bodies were identified after the incident.
Investigation Findings
Investigation concluded Myers murdered her children before suicide.
CPS Hearing
CPS questioned about their actions prior to the incident.
DHHR Lawsuit
Lawsuit filed against DHHR for ignoring abuse reports.
DHHR Reformation
West Virginia DHHR ordered to be dissolved and restructured.
8, 2020, incident in Williamsburg, West Virginia, 25-year-old Oreanna Myers committed a familicide, shooting and killing her five children, aged one to seven, with a .410 gauge shotgun before setting their home on fire and taking her own life. The tragedy unfolded around 2:30 p.m. when Myers picked up her children from a bus stop, and by 3:30 p.m., emergency services were alerted to the house fire. Her husband, Brian Bumgarner, was away during the incident due to personal circumstances. Three handwritten suicide notes were recovered from their vehicle, detailing her mental health struggles and confessing to the murders. This incident marks the deadliest mass shooting in West Virginia history, with all victims identified by December 12, 2020.
Oreanna Myers is believed to have been struggling with severe mental health issues, which may have contributed to her actions. Some speculate that she felt overwhelmed by her responsibilities as a mother and may have perceived her children as a burden. Additionally, there are theories suggesting that the incident was premeditated, given the arson aspect and the methodical way she executed the shooting before taking her own life.
The 2020 Williamsburg Massacre: A Tragic Tale of Familicide in West Virginia
On a cold December afternoon, the quiet community of Williamsburg, West Virginia, became the site of an unimaginable tragedy. On December 8, 2020, 25-year-old Oreanna Myers committed an act so horrific that it would mark the darkest moment in the state's history: the worst mass shooting West Virginia had ever seen.
The Incident
It was around 2:30 p.m. on that fateful day when Oreanna Myers picked up two of her children from the bus stop. Myers, the biological mother of three of the children and the stepmother to two others, took them back to their two-story home. What unfolded next was both shocking and devastating. Using a .410 gauge single-shot shotgun, she tragically shot and killed all five children, aged between one and seven. She then set the house ablaze in an act of arson. With the fire consuming the home, Myers stepped outside, leaving behind a scene of horror.
Near a picnic table, Myers took her own life with the same shotgun, ending the massacre in a murder-suicide. Her body was found with a haunting detail—a red line drawn across her face and the bridge of her nose, extending from ear to ear. It took authorities until December 12 to recover and identify all the victims.
At 3:30 p.m., emergency services were alerted to the fire. By the time fire crews arrived at 3:50 p.m., the home was badly damaged. Myers' lifeless body was discovered along the south side of the house just before 4:30 p.m.
Throughout this period, Myers' husband, Brian Bumgarner, was absent. He had been staying with family due to a car accident that left him needing rides to work, thus keeping him away from home for about ten days before the tragedy.
The Aftermath
The investigation that followed revealed three handwritten suicide notes left by Myers in the family car. One of these was a chilling confession, taking full responsibility for the murders and her suicide. The notes contained apologies to her husband and spoke of her struggles with mental health, stating, "This is no one’s fault but my own."
The tragedy prompted a closer examination of the events leading up to it. During a hearing on December 7, 2021, the Joint Committee on Children and Families questioned Child Protective Services (CPS) about their actions regarding the family. Four months before the shooting, on August 10, a dentist reported that one of the children had a large bruise and was afraid of his father. CPS was notified after the father was observed verbally abusing the child outside. However, the call was abruptly ended by the operator, and no investigation followed.
In response to this oversight, a protocol was introduced in October 2021 to ensure every call to CPS's centralized intake is recorded. Senator Stephen Baldwin took legislative steps to reform how CPS handles potential child crimes.
The tragedy also led to legal action against the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR). The biological mother of two of the children, removed from her care in 2016 due to alleged neglect, filed a lawsuit against the DHHR. She claimed that the department ignored multiple reports of abuse by Myers and her husband. The lawsuit also stated that Myers had previously attacked her, resulting in an arrest warrant that was allegedly ignored by the DHHR. In 2023, due to apparent mismanagement, the DHHR was ordered to be dissolved and restructured into three separate organizations.
Sources
For further reading, refer to the original Wikipedia article: 2020 Williamsburg massacre.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
Mass Shooting Incident
Oreanna Myers shot and killed five children before committing suicide.
House Fire
Myers set her house on fire after the shooting.
911 Call
911 was alerted about the fire at 3:30 p.m.
Victim Identification
All victims' bodies were identified after the incident.
Investigation Findings
Investigation concluded Myers murdered her children before suicide.
CPS Hearing
CPS questioned about their actions prior to the incident.
DHHR Lawsuit
Lawsuit filed against DHHR for ignoring abuse reports.
DHHR Reformation
West Virginia DHHR ordered to be dissolved and restructured.