3 slain at S.C. apartments; 2 kids safe

A mother and her two children were shot to death early Tuesday at an apartment complex, authorities said.

Two of the bodies were discovered in an apartment where two young children were found unharmed, Dorchester County sheriff's Sgt. Michael Miller said.

The bodies were identified as Diane R. Grant, 44, and her 20-year-old son, Jatavius Lee Devore, Dorchester County Coroner Chris Nisbet said. The third body, 15-year-old De-Anna Devore, was discovered about four hours later outside, in front of another apartment at Archdale Forest Apartments, authorities said.

Authorities said they did not know a motive for the shootings or have any suspects.

Authorities received a call shortly before 2:30 a.m. from a resident who reported hearing four gunshots, Nisbet said. Deputies did not initially find anything, but then saw an open apartment door and found two bodies. The unharmed children, described as an infant and a toddler, were asleep, Miller said.

"We got maybe only one or two calls" at the time, Miller said. "But now we have several people who heard what sounded like gunshots and a female screaming."