A shooting at Foster Park left two people dead Tuesday afternoon.
Union Public Safety Department received a call to Veterans Park in reference to a shooting at approximately 1 p.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival officers discovered two individuals — a black male and a white female — suffering from gunshot wounds.
The individuals were Rosemary Michelle Lee, 21, 200 Hicks St., Union and Kerry Devon Brown, 34, 683 Rice Avenue Extension, Union. Both individuals were later pronounced deceased from their injuries, and F/Sgt. Troy Wright said the incident appears to be a murder-suicide.
Lee was attending a picnic at the park with her family, and Kerry Brown arrived at the park where the incident took place. At the time of the report, investigators were unsure of what transpired before the shooting and were still talking with witnesses. Investigators do know that Kerry Brown shot Rosemary Lee several times and then turned the semi-automatic pistol on himself.
Brown has an extensive criminal record dating back to 1996. He was a convicted felon and could not lawfully possess a firearm.
There were also several children from Fairfield County Recreation Department present during the incident. A recreation department employee said the group had been touring various parks over the summer and picked Tuesday to visit Union. None of the children were injured during the incident but were in close proximity, which made for a traumatic experience. Counseling for the children is being provided by Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office and the SLED Victim’s Assistance Program.
Wright also said the investigation is ongoing and autopsies will be conducted.
Wallace Thomson Hospital CFO Alan McPhee addressed rumors that another gunman entered the hospital following the incidents and threatened to fire. McPhee said the rumors were false.
“Nobody was ever in any danger,” McPhee said. “The rumor was that police chased a man into the hospital, which was not true. There was someone apprehended by police outside the hospital in the street.”
Tuesday was the fourth incident in a little over two weeks in which people have died violently in Union County. On July 11, deputies found Barry Keith Thompson and his wife Jackie Lynn Thompson suffering from gunshot wounds to the head in their home at 125 Hoyt Drive, Union. Preliminary evidence has led authorities to conclude that Thompson shot his wife and then himself. He died a short time later at Wallace Thomson Hospital while she was transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center where she was treated for her injuries and later released.
On July 13, Rick Lee Eison, 52, 620 Eisontown Road, Jonesville, entered the Kelly One Stop convenience store at 1508 Jonesville-Lockhart Highway, Jonesville, and shot a woman four time. Eison, who authorities say also fired at other people in the store including two children, attempted to leave the store while still carrying his gun. Deputies had the building surrounded by that time and ordered Eison to put down the gun, but he refused and pointed it at him. He was then shot by Sgt. Jared Gilstrap of the Special Emergency Response Team and died a short time later at Spartanburg Regional.
The woman Eison shot was also transported to Spartanburg Regional where she was treated for wounds.
On July 16, a domestic dispute at Freeman’s Trailer Park in Jonesville between Gary Ernest Bell, 51, 600 N. Limestone St., Gaffney, and his brother, Anthony Firmaine Bell, 37, 324 Sixth St., Gaffney, degenerated into violence that left Gary Bell dead and Anthony Bell charged with murder. Authorities the two got into a verbal altercation which escalated with them throwing pieces of concrete and rocks at each other and then a physical altercation in which Anthony stabbed Gary in the chest.
Gary Bell was transported to Spartanburg Regional where he died a short time later. Anthony Bell was transported to Wallace Thomson where he was treated for minor injuries he suffered in the fight with his brother and then released and taken to jail.
Watch for more details as they become available at www.uniondailytimes.com or in future editions of The Union Daily Times.
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