DILLON COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A man accused of shooting and killing a Dillon principal shot her in the chest at his home, according to arrest warrants obtained by News13.

Wendy Cook, 54, was shot and killed Sunday morning. Cook was the principal at Stewart Heights elementary School in Dillon County Four School District.

Authorities arrested Kyle Church, 31, after being called at about 3:15 a.m. to an address on Southwind Road, which is just outside Dillon, to investigate gunshots. according to Dillon County Sheriff Douglas Pernell.

Church lives on Southwind Road, according to warrants.

The warrants state that the shooting happened “at his residence,” but does not specify if it happened inside, outside or in the vehicle. What the two were doing together was not noted.

Deputies initially also said both Church and Cook were found in the car, but on Thursday, the sheriff’s office said they only found Cook and a firearm in the car.

News13 asked Sheriff Douglass Pernell where Church was found and didn’t get a clear answer. Pernell also said they don’t know what led up to the shooting.

He shot her in the chest with a 9mm handgun with “malice aforethought,” according to the warrants.

The warrants state that he is captured on video confessing to the killing.

Church has also been charged with possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. 

Pernell said Tuesday that Cook and Church were acquaintances, but could not provide additional details. He also said he did not know whether Church was one of Cook’s former students.

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said in a statement Monday night that she was “saddened” by Cook’s death.

“Her colleagues and friends in the Dillon County School District 4 talk about the great work she did leading her school and the many impacts she had on her students and staff,” Spearman said. “My deepest condolences are with the entire Dillon school community as they grieve this loss.”

“I feel so sorry for her kids, the family and her mom,” said David Chavis, a former classmate of Cook’s.

“We loved her,” said James Hunt, the parent of a student. “We’re going to miss her. And she was great with the school and it’s just a bad tragedy.”

Childhood friends of Church said they’re in shock because they knew him as a nice kid, but eventually lost all contact with him when they became adults.

“When you got a heart like Wendy it’s going to be missed,” Chavis said. “It’s going to be really missed.”

Church is named in an ongoing wrongful death lawsuit, according to court records.

Teddy Yarborough was killed after a car hit an ATV in June 2020 in Dillon County, according to authorities. Yarborough was a passenger on the ATV at the time.

The lawsuit alleges that Church was driving the ATV and was hit after he failed to yield the right-of-way to a Chevrolet Suburban.

“As a direct and proximate result of the collision, decedent Teddy Oliver Yarborough sustained substantial physical injuries that cause him immense conscious physical, mental, and emotional pain until he ultimately died as a result of those same injuries,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit goes on to claim that Church “had a duty to use reasonable and due care” while driving, and failed to keep a proper lookout, was driving too fast, failed “to see or observe things that a reasonable person would see or observe” and failed to take evasive action to prevent hitting the Suburban.

The lawsuit, which was filed in July 2021, requests a jury trial.