Shaquille O’Neal has pledged to pay the funeral expenses for four young girls who died in a house fire in Chadbourn, North Carolina, on Aug. 30, family members and officials said.
The daughters — Kalani, Kendall, Josephina and Sophia, ages 2, 4, 6 and 7 — were killed when the home of their father, Patrick Ellis, caught fire, according to media reports. Ellis and an 11-year-old sibling survived the blaze. The girls’ mother, Reagan Powers, also survived and has been charged in the case.
O’Neal, the Hall of Fame center and current director of community relations for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, told Fox News he felt a responsibility to help the grieving family. “It touches every one of us parents, neighbors and human beings,” he said. “It was not just a gesture of support, it was a moral responsibility. You are not alone in your pain. We see you. We mourn with you and we’re here to help you carry this burden in any way we can.”
Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett is coordinating the donation through the sheriff’s office, People reported, even though the victims’ family lives in neighboring Columbus County. “The loss the Ellis family has endured is one that shakes us all to our core,” Scandrett told Fox. “Our goal is to remind them they do not walk this journey alone.”
Columbus County authorities say Powers was arrested on four counts of involuntary manslaughter and four counts of negligent child abuse after she left the children in the care of an 11-year-old and left the home when the fire began, WCET reported. Powers was held on a $400,000 bond and later bonded out; her next court appearance was scheduled for Thursday, according to local reports.
Officials have not released a detailed cause of the fire. Investigators and local law enforcement have been working to piece together the timeline of the night of the blaze while the community and family members arrange memorials for the children.
The deaths prompted immediate local grief and calls for support. In addition to O’Neal’s pledge, family and friends established online fundraising efforts to assist with funeral and related expenses, according to news reports.
O’Neal, who has in the past used his public profile to support families and charitable causes, has been affiliated with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office since 2021 in a community-relations role. Authorities said the office is assisting with coordination of the contribution to ensure funeral arrangements proceed.
The four children’s deaths and the pending criminal case have drawn attention in the region as officials continue to investigate. Court records and law-enforcement statements will determine the next legal steps for Powers as the community continues to mourn the loss of the girls.