LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Usually when Carlos Turner is in the news, it's as a gliding, breaking, quick-shooting basketball star who has helped his high school win two state titles and himself a college scholarship.
But this time, the story is about an obsessed boyfriend, who police said smashed through windows, knocked down a bedroom door and stabbed his ex-girlfriend before turning the 12-inch blade on his own heart.
"I've never really known the guy before," said Sherryn Page, a family friend who witnessed the attack. "But last night, he was a madman."
Turner, 17, was in intensive care Friday night at Humana Hospital-University of Louisville, where he underwent surgery to repair a torn blood vessel in his heart. His condition was listed as stable but serious.
His former girlfriend, Nicole Shrivers, 18, was in fair condition at the hospital with stab wounds to her back, neck, chest and arms.
Police said they expected to file burglary and assault charges against Turner.
For Turner, it marked the end of a tumultuous week that saw him signing to play college basketball for the University of South Carolina, then being questioned by police hours later after being accused of physically abusing Shrivers.
For Shrivers, Thursday night's attack ended a month of beatings, friends said, during which she had to have adults escort her home from Pleasure Ridge Park High School.
The couple dated the last three years, relatives said, and had two children. Their first baby died last year of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome when he was 2 months old. Their second son is 3 months old.
Turner's future appeared bright. A 6-foot-6, 190-pound guard, he was considered the leading candidate this year for Mr. Basketball honors.
In his 101-game career, he has played on two consecutive state championship teams, scored 1,214 points, pulled down 487 rebounds and dished out 309 assists.
"You could see flashes of brilliance in his game," said recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons, who ranked him the 73rd best prospect in the nation this year. "But there were fluctuations in his performance. And you hear things off the court, personal problems."
Page said Turner sometimes took his emotions out on Shrivers. They would often break up, especially in the last month. Finally, jealousy got the best of Turner, she said.
"When they broke up, he said if he couldn't have her, no one else could."
