
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, August 8, 1993                   TAG: 9308080087
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

SHOOTER'S 4 VICTIMS INCLUDE ROANOKE NATIVE

A Roanoke native was among four people killed Friday when a man identified as a soldier, shouting angrily about President Clinton and gays in the military, began shooting Friday night in a restaurant about one mile from Fort Bragg, police said.

Seven people, including a pregnant woman, were wounded before police shot down the gunman.

The suspect, army Sgt. Kenneth Junior French, 22, was in stable condition Saturday at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with gunshots to the wrist, face and leg.

He was charged Saturday with four counts of first-degree murder and six counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. One of the victims was Ethel Parrous, 65, a native of Roanoke who owned Luigi's Italian restaurant along with her husband, Peter Parrous, 73, a relative said Saturday. Peter Parrous was also killed in the attack, employees said. Police found them wrapped in each others' arms in a booth of the restaurant.

Ethel Parrous' sisters, Helen Poulos and Mary Rucker, live in Roanoke, the relative said. Poulos, a former owner of Roanoke's Charcoal Steak House, moved to Fayetteville when the couple married about four decades ago, relatives said.

The gunman walked into the restaurant Friday night carrying two shotguns, a rifle and a bag of ammunition, said police Chief Ron Hansen.

"He came in the restaurant talking about Clinton and gays in the military and mumbled a few other words and then started shooting," said police Sgt. Mike Ballard.

French, a native of Zephyrhills, Fla., is stationed at Fort Bragg, which borders Fayetteville. He has been in the Army since June 1, 1989, serving as a mechanic.

Fayetteville Police Lt. David Pulliam said French apparently had never been to the restaurant before and police have not found any connection between French and any of the people who work there.

Staff writer Leigh Allen contributed information to this report.

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB