Woman whose body was found on bedroom floor was a grade school teacher, officials say
A South Carolina woman was killed and a man is behind bars following an overnight shooting, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.
Dana J. Foster died in Wednesday’s shooting, according to Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables.
The 50-year-old woman’s body was found on the floor of the master bedroom in her Graniteville home, on Chalk Bed Road, Ables said. That’s in the area between Interstate 20 and U.S. 78. Foster was shot multiple times, according to Ables.
At about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, deputies who were responding to reports of a shooting discovered Foster. They also found damage to the back door of the house consistent with a break-in, according to the sheriff’s office.
No other injuries were reported.
Information from witnesses and evidence found at the scene led investigators to believe 30-year-old Gloverville resident Alexander Ambrose Carl was the shooter, the sheriff’s office said.
Following a search, deputies said they found Carl shortly after he left a home in the 8000 block of Red Rock Way. That’s about 3.5 miles from Foster’s home.
Carl was taken into custody without incident, according to the sheriff’s office. He was being held Thursday at the Aiken County Detention Center where he will be charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and first-degree burglary, the sheriff’s office said.
There was no word on a motive for the gunfire.
Foster was Carl’s mother-in-law, according to a 2021 obituary for her husband, Scotty Lynn Foster.
Foster was a fifth-grade teacher at Byrd Elementary in Graniteville, according to the school’s website. This was the Illinois native’s first year at Byrd, but she had taught in the Aiken County School District for more than 13 years, according to the website.
In her online bio, Foster said she had gone through a major change following the death of her husband and that “family is very important to me.”
The school issued a statement following Foster’s death and is making counselors available to support teachers, students and families.
“Byrd Elementary School family is mourning the loss of fifth-grade teacher Dana Foster. Our prayers and continued comfort are with the Foster family in this time of grief,” school officials said.
An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday.
In spite of the arrest, the sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate the shooting.
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This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Woman whose body was found on bedroom floor was a grade school teacher, officials say."
