A tragic incident has unfolded in South Carolina, where an 80-year-old man is accused of killing his wife and an 11-year-old girl from a neighboring house.
According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Arthur Leonard allegedly entered his neighbor’s home armed with an assault rifle on the evening of April 16 and started shooting at the people present there, which numbered between ten and eleven at the time.
During a press conference, Chief Deputy Hampton Gardner confirmed that the young girl was shot and killed in the incident. The girl was later identified by the Sumter County Coroner’s Office as Ashly McFarland.
A GoFundMe page set up for Ashly’s family reports that her father was also shot while attempting to confront the shooter during the attack.
Police responded to the scene just before 11 p.m., discovering Leonard being restrained by family members. Emergency medical technicians tried to save the girl’s life, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following his arrest, Leonard allegedly told deputies that he had also killed his wife. Authorities then checked his home and found his wife, 76-year-old Felicia Leonard, dead in their garage from a gunshot wound.
Chief Deputy Gardner mentioned that there had been ongoing tensions between Leonard and the neighbors due to frequent target shooting in the backyard, which is permitted under state law. Leonard had made multiple complaints to deputies about his neighbors, who were already familiar with the ongoing situation.
After receiving treatment for his injuries at a local hospital, Leonard was taken to the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center the next day. Court records indicate that he had been arrested just two days prior to this tragic event for a breach of peace.
As of now, Leonard does not have a lawyer listed. The Sumter School District expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Ashly, describing her as a “bright and joyful student who made a lasting impact” on her community. Sheriff Anthony Dennis has stated that investigators are working hard to uncover all the details surrounding this heartbreaking case and will provide updates as they become available.
