It appears that a shooting Tuesday night at an assisted living center may have been planned out.

Harriet Hargrove, a patient at the Alzheimer's Related Care Center in Onslow Count was killed, while her husband, Curtis, was critically wounded. Deputies believe the husband shot his wife and then tried to kill himself.

Thursday, investigators say they have information which appears that Hargrove left final instructions for his family members on what they should do after the incident.

Hargrove remains in critical condition at a Wilmington hospital.

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An elderly Onslow County man, who authorities say killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself at an assisted living center, remains in critical condition at a Wilmington Hospital.

Harriett Hargrove died in the shooting at the Alzheimer's Related Care Center on Onslow Pines Road, while her husband, Curtis, is at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. Both are 80 years old.

Deputies say they have also recovered a small caliber handgun at the ARC, which they believe was used in the shooting. They believe the husband first shot his wife, who was a patient at the facility, and then turned the gun on himself.

Deputies say the dead woman had been a patient of the center since mid January and that her husband visited her daily.

In a statement, the ARC says the facility is a 100% secured facility, and the only way someone can get in is with the help of the staff.

The facility said the shooting was totally unexpected and that during the course of her stay, the staff "was very observant of the devotion between the husband and wife."

The State Department of Health & Human Services says the facility is licensed for 32 beds and received a three star rating in its last evaluation. That was the highest rating available it the first year of the state's new rating system.

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A resident of a elderly care center was killed and her husband wounded in a shooting last night in Onslow County. Authorities say they are investigating it as a murder and an attempted suicide.

Deputies say it happened at Alzheimer's Related Care on Onslow Pines Road around 10:30 p.m. There they found an 80-year-old woman dead from gunshot wounds to the head and the woman's husband shot in the head. The 80-year-old man was still breathing, but unresponsive. He was taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center and is in critical condition.

Deputies say the dead woman had been a patient of the center since mid January and that her husband visited her daily.

Investigators say they are still looking into exactly how the shooting happened.

The ARC released a statement Wednesday morning on the shooting. It says the facility is a 100% secured facility, and the only way someone can get in is with the help of the staff.

The facility said the shooting was totally unexpected and that during the course of her stay, the staff "was very observant of the devotion between the husband and wife."

The State Department of Health & Human Services says the facility is licensed for 32 beds and received a three star rating in its last evaluation. That was the highest rating available it the first year of the state's new rating system.

In an inspection report, the Division of Health Service Regulation said: "Based on observations, including medication administration, and the lunch meal delivery, record reviews of three sampled residents, and
interviews with residents and staff, no deficiencies were identified during the survey on July 28 & 29, 2009."