By Tuesday, though, [Philip Lee Saylor] had seen enough. After missing his regular morning visit, Saylor, 40, came calling in the late afternoon. This time, intent on providing something other than moral support, he smuggled a .38-caliber revolver into [Steven Charles Jenkins]' suite. He shot Jenkins through the head and then fired a second bullet into his own brain.

Los Angeles police detectives said Wednesday that they had received unconfirmed reports from the hospital that Saylor also had AIDS. [Phillip C. Zakowski] declined to comment on the reports, citing patient-doctor privacy, and said only that Saylor was a patient whom he met with frequently. A coroner's examination of both men was scheduled for today.

Dennis Bansmer, 34, a film costume designer, lived downstairs from Saylor and Jenkins and reported seeing the heavyset Saylor checking his mail less than two hours before the shootings. Saylor did not seem upset at the time, Bansmer said.