Georgia Mom Fatally Shoots Son with Down Syndrome and Her Mother Before Killing Herself

A look at Kimberly Butts’ Facebook profile shows a happy, loving family and the 39-year-old Georgia mother’s apparent strong bond with her 15-year-old son Caleb, who had Down syndrome.

In a photo Butts posted last week, Caleb is seen smiling and using his hands to sign “I love you.”

But the scene at the family’s secluded home near Saint George contrasted horrifically with those cheerful images. Responding to a Tuesday morning 911 call placed by Butts’ father, Mike Wilson, investigators found Butts’ and Caleb’s lifeless bodies lying side-by-side across a bed in the master bedroom. The body of Butts’ mother, Jan Kirkland, 64, lay in the hallway.

During the call, Wilson told a Charlton County 911 operator that he smells a strong gas odor and sees several lit burners. “I need police, detectives and a CSI,” he said. “There are three dead people in my house.”

Though a full medical examiner’s report won’t be available for several months, “evidence currently shows that Kimberly Gayle Butts took the lives of Caleb Logan Butts and Jan Elizabeth Kirkland prior to taking her own life,” says a statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

Ballistic and toxicology tests are pending. 

Kirkland was found with a single gunshot wound, while Caleb had multiple shots to the chest and Butts had a gunshot wound to the left temple, with a pink semiautomatic handgun laying on her left shoulder, the statement says. 

Butts’ longtime friend Shawna Tomlinson tells PEOPLE that Butts had dealt with back pain from a degenerative disk and was approved to undergo surgery. The day before the fatal shootings, Butts had gotten into a confrontation with a man at McDonald’s who accused her of jumping the line and then became very belligerent, Tomlinson says.

Tomlinson also says Butts kept the gun used in the killings under her pillow because of a recent spate of thefts.

Relative Sandy Dobbs tells PEOPLE, “We’re all feeling in shock, like it’s not real.” Dobbs adds, “She always seemed like a really bubbly person and he always seemed like a happy child who just loved to have fun.”

Dobbs notes that Butts, Caleb and Kirkland had monthly family dinner outings, including one last week at a Texas Roadhouse restaurant, which Dobbs attended. At that dinner, Butts’ elder son showed up on a surprise visit from his U.S. Navy deployment. Though Dobbs says Butts struggled financially and was unemployed, Dobbs says nothing seemed amiss at that dinner and that Butts was thrilled to see Chandler.

“That’s what makes it seem a little more unreal,” Dobbs says.

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Mom Shares How She Knew to Challenge Doctor’s Diagnosis After 3-Year-Old Is Partially Paralyzed From Polio-Like Illness

Cami Abernathy, of Cartersville, Georgia, says she never expected that her son’s common cold symptoms would mark the start of an ordeal that would change the family forever.

It was nearing the end of August when 3-year-old Carter Abernathy had a running nose and cough for about a week. When Carter developed a fever, Cami took the boy to a hospital where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Just one day later, his health took a turn for the worst.

RELATED: Flea-Borne Typhus Cases Are Rising in Los Angeles. Here’s What You Need to Know

“His arm just quit working. He went to use the restroom and when he went to pull his underwear back up, his arm would not work,” Cami, 30, tells PEOPLE. “He couldn’t grasp his underwear to pull it up.”

She and her husband, 30-year-old Rhyne Abernathy, took Carter to a local emergency room where doctors “dismissed” the ailment as nursemaid’s elbow, a common condition in which a child’s arm is pulled and partially dislocates.

However, when Carter was still unable to move his arm after treatment, the family took him to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta where he was again diagnosed with the common dislocation.

“At first we thought he had a stroke,” Cami tells PEOPLE of herself, her husband and her mother. “We felt like something was wrong from the beginning. We knew deep down that it was more than nursemaid’s elbow.”

RELATED: Six Minnesota Children Under 10 Have Contracted a Rare ‘Polio-Like’ Illness

So, she and her mother did some research on the Internet, where they learned about acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare, polio-like condition that affect’s a person’s nervous system and causes weakness in the arms or legs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Her suspicions were correct and a doctor diagnosed Carter with AFM in early September.

“We were devastated,” Cami says of the moments she and her family got the diagnosis, noting that Carter had been hospitalized for at least five days before doctors determined he has the illness. “We were worried and scared.”

Less than one in a million people are diagnosed with AFM in the United States each year, according to the CDC. From August 2014 through August 2018, a total of 362 cases of AFM from across the U.S. have been identified by the CDC. In rare cases, AFM can result in death.

“He was very depressed in the hospital. He couldn’t leave the room because of the virus he had because it was contagious. So he spent six days in the hospital room. Then the last day we were there, he was able to get around and go outside.”

Doctors reassured the concerned parents that Carter would be okay. He has since undergone physical therapy to regain the use of his left arm and to remedy the weakness in his legs. Although his health has improved in the last month, Cami says she is unsure of Carter’s future.

“It’s changed our lives. We’ve had to learn how to make life easier for Carter with only one arm that has full movement,” she tells PEOPLE, adding that Carter has “adapted very well.” “Right now we’re kind of lost because we don’t know if [his arm] will get better or if the progress we have seen is all we’ll see.”

Despite the struggle, Cami says Carter has managed to maintain a positive attitude during the ordeal.

“He is outgoing. He’s full of personality. He’s funny,” she tells PEOPLE. “He is wide open from the moment he gets up to the moment he gets to sleep at night. He is back to his old self for sure.”

The mysterious illness has been making headlines recently, as cases of the condition have appeared to skyrocket in recent weeks. In Minnesota alone, six children have been diagnosed since mid-September. The average for the state is less than one case a year.

Majority of those affected are children under the age of 10, and there is no clear cause behind its spread since 2014, the CDC reported. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, symptoms include sudden muscle weakness in the arms or legs, sometimes following a respiratory illness, neck weakness or stiffness, drooping eyelids or a facial droop, and difficulty swallowing or slurred speech.

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Khloe Kardashian Good American Performance Collection Review

Anything the Kardashians touch seems to turn to gold, and Khloe’s new line proves to be no different.

If a Kardashian decided to come out with a line of kitchen tools, it would inevitably have a waiting list a mile long, not to mention the frenzy that ensues any time the famous clan posts about a “secret project.” The latest in the mix? Khloe’s new collection of activewear from her size-inclusive denim brand Good American—and I was lucky enough to try it before it made its way to the masses.

The 22 piece collection—called Performance—drops today, and includes tops, bras, leggings, hoodies, jackets, and jumpsuits in a mix of black and white fabrics with glossy and matte finishes. All pieces are designed for sizes XS to 4X (they refer to them as size 0-7, respectively). The line also features next-level features such as four-way stretch, antiperspirant and anti-pilling materials, UV protection, and cooling properties. And as if the clothes themselves weren’t enough to win you over, the campaign features confident fitness pros from a variety of backgrounds including fitness trainer Emily Skye, MMA champion Mackenzie Dern, and model Candice Huffine.

For its launch, the brand held a workout class with New York City-based trainer Akin Akman, who is known for his butt-busting boot camp workouts—and this one didn’t disappoint. Upon pulling on the GA Iconic Biker Shorts ($65; goodamerican.com) in preparation for class—a style I wouldn’t ordinarily choose—I felt totally comfortable. The compression fabric and high waisted design held everything in place, and the extra-long length didn’t make me feel self-conscious, or as if I was trying too hard to follow a trend. I typically exercise in full-length tights, but the GA shorts now have me sold on the above-knee length. 

Khloe Kardashian for Good American Performance

I felt great doing all the moves, from burpees to leg lifts, and I was impressed that the fabric didn’t feel like it was riding up. Best of all, my legs weren’t chafing as they sometimes can in shorts that are cut higher. Another selling point: The fabrics are thick enough that you don’t have to worry about anything being see-through, but they’re also not so thick that they’re restricting. While I’m into the shorts, there are also leggings in cropped or full length varieties—some have mesh cutouts and others say ‘Good American’ down the leg.

Good American Electric Feel Crop Top and Leggings

On top, I wore the Making Moves Tank ($49; goodamerican.com), which is a bit of an oversized sleeveless shirt made of a lightweight fabric that’s breathable and kept me cool despite all of the sweat-inducing moves we were making in class. There are also zip-ups and hoodies, all of which are fitting for any type of workout. For example, there’s a wrap top that could be perfect for barre class, while the Electric Feel Crop Top ($95; goodamerican.com), a long sleeve crop top that I also tried, is perfect to pair with high-waist leggings if you want to show off your midriff.

Good American Core Plunge Sports Bra and Core Power Leggings

Whether you like more fitted or loose athletic gear, there’s something for everyone in this collection. I found that the line fit true to size (I usually wear a medium and in this collection, was a size 2). What I love most about the line: its versatility. Everything can be worn to a workout class, but also on a casual day without looking like an old gym outfit. Personally, the next piece I have my eye on is the mesh windbreaker—I’m convinced that the rain wouldn’t deter me from getting in a workout if I had that to throw on before I head out the door.

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