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AIDS patient shot by lover in hospital murder-suicide

By ALICE CRANE

LOS ANGELES -- A dying AIDS patient was shot to death in his hospital bed by his lover, who then killed himself, authorities said.

Steven Jenkins, 35, was slain Tuesday afternoon in his private room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The gunman was identified as Phillip Saylor, 40, hospital spokesman Ron Wise said Wednesday.

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Police investigators said Jenkins and Saylor had lived together for 'many years.' Detective Dan Andrews declined to say whether Saylor was infected with the AIDS virus, saying an autopsy would be necessary to determine that.

The detective said no evidence was immediately found that either man left a note or gave any indication that the shooting was the result of a pact between the two or whether Saylor acted on his own.

Andrews said the men operated an antique shop called the Yellow Barn in the San Fernando Valley.

Jenkins, diagnosed with AIDS two years ago, was admitted to the hospital about three weeks ago for treatment of unspecified 'multiple complications' brought on by acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Saylor was a frequent visitor and known to the staff on the hospital's fifth floor, Wise said.

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'His doctor said (Jenkins) had 'end stage' AIDS and was terminal,' Wise said.

When the shots rang out, the entire floor's staff and several patients ran to the room.

'But it was already too late for either man,' Wise said.

The gunman shot Jenkins with a .38-caliber revolver, and then shot himself in the head, Andrews said.

Patients said investigators, wary of the infectious disease, were wearing masks, gowns and gloves, and the room was cordoned off. But the most common ways AIDS is spread are through sex and sharing of hypodermic needles.

One patient said the police came to his room shortly after the shootings, carrying with the gun apparently used.

Detectives have been unable to locate Jenkins's family, but have talked to Saylor's relatives, who live in the Los Angeles area, Andrews said.

'The family members knew they lived together and knew (Jenkins) was sick,' Andrews said. 'None had any inkling that anything like this was going to happen.'

Wise said Jenkins had been placed on a ward with others suffering from similar diseases, though not necessarily AIDS.

Cedars-Sinai is scheduled next month toopen a $2.5 million, 24-bed AIDS treatment center that will treat physical ailments 'but also the major psycho-social component' of the disease.

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'AIDS patients were traditionally treated according to physical needs,' Wise said. 'Now it's seen as best to treat all the problems in the same unit.'

Wise said that while Tuesday's incident has not been formally discussed by hospital administrators, no added security was planned for the new ward.

'We view this as an isolated incident,' he said. 'It has never happened before and we hope it never happens again.'

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