(Newser) – A man intentionally rammed a vehicle into a steak and seafood restaurant in North Carolina on Sunday, killing his daughter and daughter-in-law who had been seated inside the restaurant with other family members, police say. The vehicle's driver, Roger Self, had reportedly initially taken a seat at the table with his family then excused himself as they ate appetizers; the Gaston Gazette reports they assumed he had gone to the bathroom. Instead, police say he drove a Jeep into the area of the restaurant where his family was located. He was immediately arrested and the preliminary evidence indicates he purposely drove all the way into the Surf and Turf Lodge about noon, authorities say. Jail records show he's been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

His daughter, Katelyn Self, a deputy with the Gaston County Sheriff's Office, and his daughter-in-law, Amanda Self, a nurse, were killed, the AP reports. Amanda was the wife of Roger Self's son, Gaston County Police Officer Josh Self, who also was seriously injured, along with Roger's wife, Diane, and the 13-year-old daughter of Josh and Amanda. They are all expected to survive their injuries. Self ran a private investigations business called Southeastern Loss Management, according to a 2017 profile in the Gazette. The pastor at the church the family attends tells WSOC Roger had been suffering from mental illness. "Family has been loving him through this," says Austin Rammell. "He's been taking precautions. He had all the guns removed from his house, so he was taking steps that were rational steps."

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