Suspect in Fayetteville triple homicide has violent past

Police said that Shawn Lee Legrand, 44, broke into a home at 288 Ingram St. around 9:45 a.m.

As police responded to the report of gunshots, Sgt. Steven Bates and Officer Travis Smith spotted Legrand driving on Person Street and gave chase until he crashed into a fence at 216 C St. and took off running. The officers fired at Legrand when they encountered him carrying a handgun in a back yard.

Once he's released from Cape Fear Hospital, police plan to charge Legrand with three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and four counts of first-degree kidnapping.

At the home on Ingram Street, police found Ardell Paige Jr., 33, and Krystle Price Papile, 26, dead and three others injured.

Gregory Steven Fitzgerald, 37, died at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Stephanie Lashaun Croom, 30, and Bennie Darwin King, 50, remained at Cape Fear Sunday afternoon.

Police said they haven't been able to find Papile's family to tell them about her death. Anyone with information about the location of her family is asked to call Fayetteville police detectives at 910-391-2529.

Some of Paige's relatives told WRAL News that he knew Legrand, but police have yet to establish a motive for the attack.  

The State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the shots fired by police, and Bates, a 10-year veteran of the department, and Smith, a 2-year member, have been placed on administrative leave with pay. Those moves are standard procedure when an officer fires a gun.

Legrand was released from prison in July after being incarcerated for over 23 years, according to state Department of Correction records. 

He was convicted of assault inflicting serious injury, common-law robbery, burglary, breaking and entering and larceny for 1987 crimes. His sentence was lengthened after he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury for an offense committed while imprisoned.