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Man charged with murder in Dayton pastor's death

Posted at 2:07 PM, Mar 01, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-01 14:07:16-05

DAYTON, Ohio -- Daniel Schooler, 68, faces murder charges in the shooting death of a Dayton pastor -- his brother -- during a church service Sunday.

Schooler was charged with three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and two counts of using weapons under disability, the Dayton court clerk announced Tuesday afternoon.

“This is a tragic and senseless shooting," said Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. told WHIO. "We extend our condolences to not only the family of the victim, but also to the congregation of St. Peter’s Missionary Baptist Church."

Dayton police said 70-year-old William B. Schooler was shot around 12:30 p.m. Sunday while in his office at St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church.

Despite early witness accounts, police say Schooler was not in the pulpit when he was attacked.

His brother, 68-year-old Daniel Gregory Schooler, was in Montgomery County jail Sunday.

Police Sgt. Richard Blommel said the pastor was the only intended victim of the act.

Besides being pastor at the church, William Schooler was a past interim president of the Dayton school board and current president of the local Baptist ministers union.

“He had deep roots in the community,” local community leader Ronnie Moreland told WHIO. “He was a beloved leader. It’s hard to put into words what has happened.”

The shooting was related to a domestic violence situation and there was no general threat to the public, police said.

Family members said Daniel Schooler suffered from bipolar disorder and schitzophrenia.

"I don't think he woke up this morning and said 'I want to kill my brother.' I think the mental state and illness goes together," Joyce Napier, niece of the suspect and the deceased, told WHIO.

A grand jury hearing date has yet to be set for Schooler. The clerk said he will not appear in court Tuesday.