University Of South Carolina Professor Shot And Killed By Ex-Wife In Murder-Suicide
According to Fox News, a 45-year-old University of South Carolina professor who taught anatomy and physiology, Dr. Raja Fayad, was shot and killed by his ex-wife in a public health building on campus. Authorities say it was a murder-suicide.
Richland County Police say Fayad’s ex-wife, Sunghee Kwon, 46, fatally shot the University of south Carolina professor Thursday in the upper body area several times before taking her own life. Kwon’s body was discovered with a single gunshot wound to the abdominal area with a 9 mm pistol and a magazine in close proximity of both bodies, spokesman Thom Berry said. Neither students nor faculty witnessed the murder-suicide. Therefore, police are searching various locations for notes and/or clues to ascertain why the University of South Carolina professor was shot and killed by his ex-wife. However, they have yet to discover any evidence.
A USC student stated that it seemed like a normal day on campus and had no knowledge of the fatal shooting. It wasn’t until the fire alarm sounded off that he learned the University of South Carolina professor was shot and killed.
Another University of South Carolina student, Augusta Fox, told reporters that he too was notified of the murder-suicide when the fire alarm went off during his criminal justice class.
“We don’t know how many shooters there are, where they are,” Fox stated. “Basically everyone is being told to stay where they are, and no one is allowed to leave.”
Twitter reacted to University of South Carolina’s murder-suicide news.
USC is in our thoughts and prayers today here in Clemson. Support in times like these transcends a rivalry any day. pic.twitter.com/woe8Io2wz4
— Clemson Gent (@CU_Gentleman) February 6, 2015
Please pray for USC. There was a murder suicide on campus today. All of our students are ok, but we’re all shaken up & have a lot to grieve.
— Sammy Rhodes (@sammyrhodes) February 6, 2015
According to the Salisbury Post, Kwon and Fayad were married for a few years before filing for divorce. Although their divorce was finalized, the two continued living together and remained a couple until a few months ago. Fayad reportedly moved out of their Lake Murray home and moved in with a family member at a long-term stay hotel.
Before teaching at the University of South Carolina and becoming a graduate director and the head of applied psychology division, he was a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was recruited by USC professor J. Larry Durstine and transferred to the university in 2008. Durstine claims that Fayad was “bright, caring, and sympathetic toward colleagues and students.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen him any other way,” Durstine said.
In lieu of practicing medicine after graduating from medical school in Syria, Fayad decided to go into academics. According to his USC biography, he was in the midst of finding the correlation of chronic digestive track inflammation and cancer before he was shot and killed on the USC campus.
Durstine isn’t the only one who views the USC professor as “bright, caring, and sympathetic toward colleagues and students.” Fayad received high ratings from current and former students on websites that allow students to rate their professors.
Police will continue to investigate the murder-suicide to uncover why the USC professor was shot and killed by ex-wife.
“This is a process that will take some time,” spokesman Thom Berry said. “It is very slow, very methodical work because we want to make absolutely sure it’s done right.”
[Image via Greenville Online]
