Sallisaw shooting suspect ordered to take mental evaluation

(Sallisaw-AP) -- A Sequoyah County judge has ordered that shooting spree suspect Daniel Hawke Fears be evaluated by state psychologists. <br><br>Special Judge Dennis Sprouse ordered the evaluation Monday

Tuesday, February 25th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Sallisaw-AP) -- A Sequoyah County judge has ordered that shooting spree suspect Daniel Hawke Fears be evaluated by state psychologists.

Special Judge Dennis Sprouse ordered the evaluation Monday after hearing testimony that 19-year-old Fears has trouble telling fantasies from reality.

Fears had also compared himself to fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter in a school essay written before the shootings.

Fears is accused of killing two and injuring eight in an October shooting spree.

Tuesday was scheduled to be the first day of Fears' preliminary hearing. The hearing has been postponed until psychological evaluations are complete.

Sequoyah County District Attorney Richard Gray says prosecutors think Fears is competent, but that they would wait for the state's doctors to evaluate him and go from there.

Fears will be evaluated by a local psychologist within the week. The state will then have 30 days to have him evaluated further.