Mom Charged With Killing 4 Of Her Kids

A mother who sobbed uncontrollably at the funeral of four of her children in December was charged Sunday with murdering them and two other girls in an arson fire.

Tracey Shaw was arrested at her sister’s home and was being held without bail pending arraignment. Fire officials had found traces of a gasolinelike liquid in the house.

Shaw, 26, and her 5-month-old son escaped their row house the morning of Dec. 23. The fire killed her four other children, 2 to 8 years old, and two next-door neighbors, 15 and 11 years old, who had spent the night.

After she escaped, Shaw was heard screaming, “My babies, my babies,” and later was taken to a hospital for psychiatric care.

Police wouldn’t say exactly what led to the arrest but did say there were no eyewitnesses.