Aftermath of Children’s Murder ‘Tough’

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO) — For the first time, Lexington One School officials release photos of 9-year-old Cameron and 6-year-old Sarah Peake, two of their own, who were murdered over the weekend.

“The school is having a really hard day.  It’s a hard time,” said district spokesperson, Mary Beth Hill.

The brother and sister were shot in the head in the home on Farm Chase Drive they shared with their mother, Amanda Peake.  Authorities say Amanda Peake’s estranged boyfriend, Chancey Smith, who occasionally lived with the family of three, also shot and killed Amanda, and then himself.

Now, school officials attempt to help the siblings’ teachers, staff and friends deal with the aftermath.

“One of the children said something like ‘I should’ve stopped them’ as if there was something they could’ve done.”

Normally there are two guidance counselors on staff at the school that we won’t name, at the request of administration, but since the Peake children’s murders, nearly a dozen additional counselors and psychologists were been called in Thursday.

Jeremiah McCarty, who is in a relationship with a woman who has two children who do not belong to him, fears the students left behind may not recover.

“They gotta worry about all that stuff too. They don’t know what will happen if they go home,” said McCarty.

But school officials say they are reminded of how resilient children can be. they sent letters home to parents with tips on how to talk to their kids. and counselors will remain available as long as it takes.