Stafford County murder suspect who opened fire on troopers dies

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - A man suspected of killing his wife, opening fire on troopers in Stafford County and leading them on a high-speed chase before crashing on Interstate 95 has died at the hospital, police say.

Stafford County Sheriff's Office said 42-year-old Gregory Lee was accused of shooting and killing his wife, 36-year-old Melissa Lee, at England Run North Apartments on Heron Drive in Fredericksburg Thursday morning.

Children were inside the apartment at the time of the shooting and neighbors said the family had moved into the complex only a couple of weeks before the murder.

The 42-year-old was a registered sex offender. He was convicted of attempted rape back in 1999 in Alexandria. Court records also show Gregory Lee was convicted twice of assaulting a law enforcement officer - first in 1996 and then again ten years later along with eluding police, DUI and hit-and-run.

Gregory Lee's sister told FOX 5 he and his wife Melissa knew each other since high school and had been married more than a decade. They had two children who are believed to have been home at the time of the shooting and are now staying with family members. Lee's sister said that in recent years, her brother had suffered from mental illness.

Authorities said after the fatal shooting, Gregory Lee fled the scene in an SUV and a trooper spotted him shortly after the shooting and attempted to pull him over. He led authorities on a high-speed chase while he fired at officers from the vehicle, according to officials.

One of the bullets went through the windshield of the trooper's vehicle and became lodged in the driver's seat. Thankfully, the trooper was able to duck away from the gunfire.

However, the trooper was rear-ended as part of a three-vehicle chain-reaction crash during this incident. A person suffered a minor injury in the crash and was treated at the scene.

Authorities said Gregory Lee continued on Interstate 95 with the trooper still in pursuit. A Stafford County sheriff's deputy then joined in the pursuit. A couple of miles further on the roadway, Gregory Lee slowed again and started firing his weapon at the police vehicles, according to officials.

The gunfire this time hit the deputy's patrol car, with one bullet striking the windshield of the vehicle and narrowly missing the deputy. The bullet was found lodged in the driver's side headrest.

Officials said Gregory Lee lost control of the SUV after sideswiping another vehicle on I-95 near Fredericksburg. The Ford Explorer would crash into a guardrail and flip upside down. Deputies said Gregory Lee was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

He was flown to Fairfax Inova Hospital where he later died overnight. Officials say the cause of death was from the self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Officials said troopers did not fire their weapons during the incident.

The incident remains under investigation.