Posted on 07/02/2002 11:47:41 AM PDT by tarawa
ATF failed to charge killer for gun-buy attempt, chief says
By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER
tmorgan@leader.net
SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. - The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating its handling of a case involving a convicted felon who killed his pregnant stepdaughter and wounded another person before killing himself early Sunday morning, an agency spokeswoman said Monday. South Abington Township Police Chief Robert Gerrity said his department on May 30 asked the ATF to arrest Charles D. Schuler after he tried to purchase a gun, but the charges were never filed. Schuler is prohibited from buying a gun - a federal offense - because of a 1992 conviction for second-degree murder in North Carolina, Gerrity said.
Gerrity said he did not know why the ATF had not filed the charges. Jill Tucker, a spokeswoman for the ATF in Philadelphia, said the case is under "active investigation." She said the agency had no additional comment.
Schuler, 40, address unknown, broke into the 12 Hunts Court home of his estranged wife, Lisa Schuler, around 1 a.m. Sunday. He fatally shot his stepdaughter, Tara Murphy, 19, of Reading, and wounded Murphy's 20-year-old boyfriend, Frank Rivera, before shooting himself in the head. Murphy's child, delivered three months premature, died shortly after birth.
Gerrity said his department made extensive efforts to locate Schuler, who was also wanted for violating a protection from abuse order obtained by his wife on May 3. A trace had been placed on Schuler's credit cards and nationwide alerts had been issued for Schuler and his vehicle.
Gerrity said his officers also interviewed sales clerks at a Philadelphia sporting goods store where Schuler tried to buy a gun. Police obtained a videotape of Schuler, who fled the store with his application after he was denied the weapon because of the outstanding PFA. That tape was turned over to the ATF, he said.
"We went the extra mile with this," Gerrity said. "No one wanted to see this happen."
Gerrity said Schuler violated the PFA by phoning his wife, but he did not threaten her. He said police put extra effort into this case because Lisa Schuler was exceptionally fearful of her husband and because of his criminal record.
"Given his history, he has a conviction for murder, we didn't know what we were dealing with," Gerrity said.
Gerrity said he did not know the details of Schuler's North Carolina conviction, but he did not believe that killing was related to domestic violence. Schuler was released in 1997 and was on parole for six months, Gerrity said.
It's unclear if Murphy was Schuler's intended target in Sunday's shootings, Gerrity said. The woman, who was a visitor at the home, was shot as she fled after trying to disarm Schuler. Her boyfriend, Rivera, also tried to disarm Schuler and was shot as he fled the home.
After shooting Murphy, Schuler returned to the home and shot himself in front of his wife and three young children as a police officer was entering the home. The children were not physically harmed, Gerrity said.
Case closed, everyone, back to sleep!
Attempting to gain possession of a firearm or ammunition by a prohibited person is also a crime.
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