An 80-year-old South Carolina man, Reuben Arthur Leonard, has been charged with murder after allegedly killing his neighbor's 11-year-old granddaughter and his own wife. Allegedly, after being booked for the 11-year-old's fatal shooting, he confessed to murdering his wife.
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According to a Sumter County Sheriff's Office
news release, the incident took place on Wednesday, April 16, at around 10:32 p.m. at a Floyd Drive residence. Deputies responded to a report that a neighbor, Leonard, entered a residence and "began firing a weapon."Upon arrival, deputies found the 11-year-old girl, the neighbor's granddaughter, suffering from a gunshot wound. At the same time, Leonard was being restrained by her family members. While Emergency Medical Services attempted to save the girl's life, she succumbed to her injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. According to a fundraiser, Leonard also shot at the girl's grandfather.
Reuben Leonard was arrested immediately. While in custody, Leonard allegedly told deputies that, before the 11-year-old's shooting, he had also killed his wife. Sumpter Police Department officers then arrived at Leonard's to perform a welfare check and found his wife dead. She had suffered a gunshot wound and lay dead in the garage.
Victims Identified
WLTX reported on both victims' identities. The girl was identified as Ashly McFarland, and Leonard's wife was identified as 76-year-old Felicia Leonard.
Chief Deputy Hampton Gardner said that investigators believed that Reuben Leonard, after breaking into his neighbor's house "home invasion style," intended to kill everything inside. Deputies alleged that Leonard was angry at their neighbors due to constant target practice in their yard. They added that Leonard even called law enforcement, despite target practice being legal in the county.
According to Law & Crime, Reuben Leonard was charged with two counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder. A judge ordered on April 18 that he was to be held without bond, given the severity of his charges.
The Sumter School District issued a statement, identifying Ashly McFarland as a fifth grader at Kingsbury Elementary School.
"She was a bright and joyful student who made a lasting impact on her classmates, teachers, and school community," the statement reads. "Her passing is a heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time."
