Inheritance may be motive in deadly church shooting

UPDATE @ 1:10 p.m. Feb. 29:

Daniel Schooler, who is being held without bond on a murder charge in the death of his brother, the Rev. William Schooler, filed a lawsuit in 2011 against his brother and other family members asking for his inheritance from the Council of St. Peter’s Baptist Church.

“This council has made payout to themselves and they refuse to give my inheritance as being an heir as the deed and title stated,” wrote Daniel and Allen Schooler in a hand-written document filed on April 13, 2011.

Daniel Schooler alleged that he received no response from the church council before he filed the lawsuit.

Schooler, 68, was taken into police custody in connection with the murder of of his brother William B. Schooler on Sunday. He is scheduled to make a court appearance today.

FIRST REPORT Feb. 28:

Daniel Schooler, the alleged shooter in the church shooting that took the life of the Rev. William. B Schooler, has a troubled and violent past.

Police said they don’t know what preceded before the shooting but said the Schoolers were brothers.

In 2001, Daniel was charged with felonious assault with a firearm specification and carrying a concealed weapon, according to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records.

Schooler originally pleaded not guilty to the charges by reason of insanity. But he later withdrew that plea and pleaded guilty to one count of felonious assault.

Court documents note that Schooler “may be mentally ill and in need of treatment.”

He was sentenced to five years probation.

But on May 7, 2002, Schooler attacked a 27-year-old woman at a home on Lorenz Avenue, a police report states.

The victim said she visited a friend at the home accompanied by her 4-year-old son.

The victim said Schooler began pacing and was acting odd and then struck her, knocking her unconscious, the report states.

After she awoke, Schooler accused her of stealing his money and threatened to kill her, the report states.

Schooler hit, kicked and bit her. He cut her with a small knife and threatened her son.

Schooler grabbed her hair and forced her outside. He choked her and cut her.

The victim said the assault lasted 40 minutes and she suffered bruises, cuts and other injuries.

Schooler was indicted on felony charges of kidnapping and felonious assault. He was convicted of felonious assault with a deadly weapon and spent two years in prison.

In 2007, a friend said Schooler attacked him with a golf club, striking him three times on the head without provocation, a report states. The friend said Schooler has mental problems and had hit him before and given him a black eye.

The officer who wrote the report said Schooler had been referred for mental health court but the victim did not want to pursue charges. The case was dismissed.

In January 2008, two men said Schooler threw a hammer at them and charged them while carrying a six-inch knife.

Schooler had assaulted people in the past and has a tendency to be violent when he does not take his medication, the report states.

Schooler told police the men were teasing him and he became upset.

The men said Schooler has mental problems and regularly acts out, the report states.

They said they feared Schooler would kill them.

Schooler was charged with misdemeanor counts of assault and aggravated menacing, but the charges were dropped when the witnesses failed to appear in court.