A closer look at the Appomattox shooting victims

Below is what The News & Advance knows about each of the victims. A gallery of their photos can be found in the Related Info section on this page:

Ronald I. “Bo” Scruggs II, 16, of Dillwyn
Obituary

Scruggs was known as Bo to his friends and family. He was popular at Appomattox County High School, where he was an 11th grader with many friends.

He is remembered as a fun-loving practical joker who liked, video games and skateboarding.

Emily Quarles, 15, also killed Tuesday, was the love of his life and he also was friends with Morgan Dobyns, another victim.

He is survived by his parents, Ronnie and Kim, his older sister Ashley and many family members with whom he was close.

Jonathan L. Quarles, 43, of Appomattox
Obituary

Jon Quarles was a kind, honest and open man who cared deeply about his friends and family.

His close friend Tom Voorhees remembered Quarles as someone who would drop everything to help in any way he could. Voorhees said Quarles would start household projects and they usually would become much more complicated. “We would always laugh at each other about why we would get into these messes,” he said.

Quarles ran a small landscaping business and was a passionate tennis player, power lifter and animal lover.

He enjoyed going into the woods and collecting animals with his twin brother, Jeff, Voorhees said. They would keep the animals for a few days to watch them and then let them go.

Voorhees remembered one day when he told Quarles he had never seen a rattlesnake. That night, Quarles went out to the Blue Ridge Parkway, collected one and brought it the next day to Voorhees’ house in a clear plastic box for show and tell.

Voorhees said the last time he saw Quarles was on Saturday. Voorhees was laying carpet at a friend’s house and said just as he realized he needed help, Quarles pulled up in his truck.

“I was just so grateful he showed up at the right time,” Voorhees said. “I told him, you always have perfect timing. He said, ‘That’s what I’m here for. I’m here when you need me.’”

His wife of 18 years, Karen, and daughter, Emily, were among those killed. He leaves a daughter, Meghan Pritchard, and sons Matthew Pritchard and Derrick Quarles.

Emily A. Quarles, 15, of Appomattox
Obituary

Emily Quarles loved being 15. She and her boyfriend Bo Scruggs, 16, were inseparable. She loved to skate and talk on her cell phone. She was a devout Christian, had a bright smile, a good sense of humor and loved being the baby in the family.

Through a family spokeswoman, Emily’s sister Meghan Pritchard and brother Matthew Pritchard said their youngest sister idolized them and loved to help them. Both recently purchased homes and Emily was there throughout the process, spending many hours with them and helping them decorate and move in.

Last week, Emily went with Meghan to try on bridesmaid dresses for Meghan’s summer wedding. They found one and Meghan said it fit perfectly.

Friends remembered Emily on Facebook as a sweet girl who loved to wear colorful socks. She had many friends at Appomattox County High School, where she was a ninth grader. One of her best friends was Morgan Dobyns, who also was killed Tuesday.

Karen Quarles, 43, of Appomattox
Obituary

Karen Quarles loved being a mother and had four children.

Through a family spokeswoman, Quarles’ children Meghan and Matthew Pritchard remembered her as a quiet woman who carried a strong presence. She was very protective of her children, even as they grew up. She loved spending time with her family and smiled often.

The Pritchards said Quarles’ most passionate hobby was motherhood from the moment her first child was born.

Quarles was a dedicated health care provider, working as a respiratory therapist for Centra Health since 1999. She graduated from E.C. Glass High School and was a native of the Boonsboro area.

George Dawson, Centra’s CEO and president said in a statement, “We are very saddened to hear of the loss of such a long-standing Centra Employee. … She will be deeply missed.”

Her husband of 18 years, Jon, and her daughter Emily were both killed Tuesday. She leaves a daughter, Meghan Pritchard, and sons Matthew Pritchard and Derrick Quarles.

Dwayne S. Sipe, 38, of Appomattox
Obituary

Sipe was born in Baltimore in 1971 and attended E.C. Glass High School. He served in the U.S. Navy as a gunner on the USS Wisconsin during Operation Desert Storm.

He held several jobs before forming a commercial construction company in Atlanta. In early 2009, Sipe, his wife, Lauralee, son Joshua and stepdaughter Morgan Dobyns moved back to Appomattox to be close to family. He was a member of the Lighthouse Foursquare Church. He recently formed a new company with his brothers, Bobby and Robert New, to bring high-tech jobs into the area.

Lauralee, Joshua and Morgan were among those killed Tuesday. Sipe leaves two children, Alicia and David Sipe of Georgia.

Lauralee Sipe, 38, of Appomattox
Obituary

Lauralee Sipe was the sister of Christopher Speight, the suspected gunman. She was born in Halifax in 1972 and graduated from Rustburg High School and Lynchburg College. She, her husband, Dwayne, son, Joshua and daughter, Morgan Dobyns, moved to Appomattox in 2009 to be close to family and help take care of the property left to Lauralee and her brother by their mother. She and Dwayne were starting to remodel the house to make it more accessible for Lauralee’s and Christopher’s 100-year-old grandmother, who lives in Atlanta.

Dwayne, Joshua and Morgan were killed Tuesday.

Joshua Sipe, 4, of Appomattox
Obituary

Joshua Sipe was the son of Lauralee and Dwayne Sipe.

Morgan L. Dobyns, 15, of Appomattox
Obituary

Friends and family remember Morgan as a vibrant girl with a big smile. She was close friends with Emily Quarles and Bo Scruggs. She loved to cook and bake and was looking forward to taking culinary classes at school next year. She had many friends at Appomattox County High School, where she was a 10th grader.

She also loved animals and skating with her friends.

She is survived by her father, Dennis Dobyns, stepmother Sandra Dobyns, brother Collin Dobyns, stepbrother David Sipe and stepsister Alicia Sipe.

EARLIER
Funeral arrangements have been set for all but one of the victims of the mass shooting in Appomattox this week.

Lauralee Sipe, her husband Dwayne and son Joshua: The family will receive friends on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-8 p. m. at Heritage Baptist Church, 219 Breezewood Drive, Lynchburg. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday at Heritage Baptist Church, with the Reverend Cosette Conaway officiating. Tharp Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Karen and Jon Quarles and their daughter Emily: The family will receive friends from 4-6 on Monday at Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg. A Celebration of Life service will be conducted at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Heritage Baptist Church, with Chaplain Wayne Lanham officiating. The family will receive friends again following the service at the church. Tharp Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Morgan Dobyns: A funeral service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday in the chapel of Heritage Funeral Service by the Rev. John Williamson. The family will receive friends from 7-8:30 p.m., Saturday at Heritage Funeral Service, 427 Graves Mill Road. Heritage Funeral Service and Crematory is assisting the family.

Ronald 'Bo' Scruggs: Robinson Funeral Home and Cremation Service is handling arrangements, which are incomplete.