An 80-year-old South Carolina man is facing murder charges after allegedly killing his wife and then fatally shooting an 11-year-old girl at a neighbor’s home, according to authorities.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office says 80-year-old Arthur Leonard entered a neighbor’s home on April 16 with an assault rifle and opened fire on around a dozen people.
Chief Deputy Hampton Gardner confirmed during a press briefing that 11-year-old Ashly McFarland was killed in the shooting. A GoFundMe for the family states that her father was also shot while trying to subdue the suspect, per PEOPLE.
Deputies responded just before 11 p.m., finding Leonard restrained by family members. Despite emergency efforts, Ashly was pronounced dead at the scene.
While in custody, Leonard allegedly admitted to deputies that he had also shot his wife. Officers later discovered 76-year-old Felicia Leonard dead in the couple’s garage from a gunshot wound, according to the Sumter Police Department and the Coroner’s Office.
Tensions between Leonard and the neighbors had reportedly been escalating due to Arthur Leonard’s frequent backyard target practice, which is legal in South Carolina. Gardner noted that Leonard had previously filed complaints, and deputies were familiar with the situation.
Court records show that Leonard was arrested two days before the incident on a breach of peace charge. He remains held at the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, and no attorney is listed for him at this time.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
