Lebanese Cancer Researcher Dead in U.S. College Murder-Suicide

A Lebanese professor at the University of South Carolina's school of public health was reportedly killed in an apparent murder-suicide on Thursday.

The deaths occurred at the university's school of public health.

Several dailies identified the Lebanese victim as Raja Fayad, 45, head of the division of applied physiology and an expert in colon cancer at the university's Arnold School of Public Health.

According to information obtained by Naharnet, Fayad hailed from the Aley district town of Majdel Baana and his family currently lives in the city of Aley, Mount Lebanon.

Authorities said Fayad and a woman were the only people in an office when they were killed in the murder-suicide.

State Law Enforcement Division spokesman Thom Berry said Friday that the two people killed were in a long-term relationship.

Berry said agents have searched several locations but found no note to possibly give a motive for the shooting that occurred on Thursday afternoon.

The agents searched the home of the professor in Lexington County on Thursday night.

South Carolina's The State newspaper quoted neighbors as saying that Fayad moved into the neighborhood in 2009.

University documents show that he received a degree in Aleppo, Syria.

The neighbors claimed that he had ended a “stormy relationship” with a woman he was living with.

A semi-automatic handgun was later recovered from the fourth floor office-lab area where the professor was shot to death.

The handgun had no rounds left in it, SLED spokesman Berry said.

Berry did not go so far as to say the handgun was the one used in the killing and subsequent suicide.

But he did say, "We are doing extensive testing on it."

The weapon was a Hi-Point 9 mm semi-automatic, he said.

Hi-Point pistols most often come with eight- or 10-round magazines, but Berry did not know how many bullets this particular gun held.

Earlier Friday, the county coroner said Fayad had received "multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body."

The identity of the second individual has not been released pending notification of next of kin, but the coroner said "all indications are the incident was a murder-suicide with the individuals involved having a history together."

A Columbia bus driver who said he met Fayad several weeks ago said the USC teacher was going through a "transition" but always seemed upbeat.

University President Harris Pastides sent a tweet in honor of the slain professor.

Pastides' tweet read "The sun is out this morning. Let's honor Professor Fayad with respect..."

Larry Durstine, as department chair in exercise science, helped recruit Fayad to come to USC. He also served as his academic mentor and developed a deep friendship with him.

"He always raised spirits of those around him," Durstine said. "As department chair, you're not supposed to let them know when your spirits are down. But Raj could tell when I was down, and he's say 'Let's go for a walk.'"

Fayad was known for organizing parties for co-workers for everything from birthdays to grant-award celebrations. "He was one of the nicest guys I've ever known," Durstine said.

The mood Friday was somber throughout the Arnold School of Health staff as well as at the Center for Colon Cancer Research, where Fayad was a mainstay.

"First and foremost, he was a sweet, sweet man, a gentle soul," said Frank Berger, director of the center. "And we're having a hard time understanding how anybody would want to hurt him."

Berger also helped recruit Fayad, who had the unusual double threat of strong teaching and research skills. Though he worked on the research side with Fayad, Berger heard of his teaching talents.

"Students are very perceptive," Berger said. "They know if (professors) really know their stuff and whether they truly care."

Residents in the neighborhood where Fayad lived came home from work Thursday to discover a half-dozen unmarked police SUVs and cars parked at the professor’s home.

Fathi Elsahli, a next door neighbor of Libyan descent, said he and Fayad got together occasionally over tea to chat in Arabic about “typical things neighbors talk about” as well as campus life at USC.

Elsahli said he and Fayad recently spoke about a stormy relationship with a woman Fayad lived with and described as his girlfriend.

The problems worsened a few weeks ago after Fayad said he moved out to be with another woman, Elsahli, a part-time USC computer science teacher, said.

Y.R./G.K.