This is Frederick Hopkins, 74-year-old disbarred lawyer accused of deadly attack on police

Frederick Hopkins Jr., a 74-year-old Vietnam veteran and a disbarred South Carolina lawyer, has been charged with killing a Florence police officer and wounding six other law enforcement officers during a shootout at his home, the sheriff investigating the case announced Friday.

New:These are the Florence officers and deputies killed and wounded in ambush

Florence County Sheriff's Office deputies had set up an interview Wednesday with one of Hopkins' sons, 27-year-old Seth Hopkins, as they were investigating a criminal sexual conduct case, said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, whose agency is investigating the shooting.

When officers arrived, there was a hail of gunfire, Lott said.

More:Slain Florence officer Terrence Carraway reached people other cops couldn't, friends say

"They were ambushed very quickly," Lott said. "As soon as they got there, the ambush was in place."

Officers from the Florence Police Department arrived to help the wounded deputies and Frederick Hopkins Jr. shot them, too, Lott said.

Frederick Hopkins Jr. has been accused of using a high-powered rifle from the second floor of the home in the Vintage Place subdivision, state Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh Leatherman told The Greenville News and the Independent Mail.

More:How the Florence shooter attacked police: High-powered rifle on second floor, senator says

Hopkins is charged with the murder of Florence Police Department Sgt. Terrence Carraway and with the attempted murder of three other police officers and three Florence County Sheriff's Office deputies, Lott said.

The Richland County Sheriff's Office identified the wounded officers in a press release issued Friday night. They are: officers Brian Hart, Travis Scott and Scott Williamson with the Florence Police Department and  Deputy Arie Davis, Investigator Sarah Miller and Investigator Farrah Turner of the Florence County Sheriff's Office.

Officials at a news conference Friday said several officers remain in critical condition. Two officers whose injuries were not life-threatening were released from the hospital Thursday.

Frederick Hopkins Jr. was still hospitalized as of Friday afternoon. When he is released, he will be taken to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia, Lott said. 

More:Florence shooting suspect identified as 74-year-old disbarred lawyer

Lott also announced Friday that Seth Hopkins has been charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Seth Hopkins, too, remained at a medical facility Friday afternoon, and he is expected to be sent to the same jail as his father once he is released.

Twelfth Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements III said that there were at least two children at the home during the shooting, and he said efforts have been made to ensure they are in emergency protective custody.

Lott said the officers were shot with no warning. 

"The officers did absolutely nothing wrong," Lott said. “I don’t want anybody to think that their procedures were incorrect... This was an ambush that you can't prevent."

A South Carolina Supreme Court order shows that Frederick Hopkins Jr. lost his law license in 1984 for wrongfully collecting $18,000 in attorney fees. According to the order, Hopkins was briefly jailed but was allowed to avoid serving his full six-month jail term in exchange for paying the money back over time and surrendering his license to practice law.

He has been charged several times in recent years, according to state court records, beginning with a February 2014 charge of public disorderly conduct. According to Florence County court records, he has been charged at least two other times for violating an ordinance relating to letting animals run at large.

Public records show he is the husband of Florence divorce attorney Cheryl Turner Hopkins.

Tributes from across the county have poured in for Carraway, 52, who spent his whole career in law enforcement at the Florence Police Department. His 31st anniversary with the agency would have been later this month. He was an Air Force veteran, a coach of youth football and liked to sing, his friends said.

Lott said investigators will likely be at the scene of the shooting for at least the next seven to 10 days to gather evidence.

Follow Nikie Mayo on Twitter @NikieMayo or email her at nmayo@gannett.com.