In the spring of 2014, a domestic incident in Fairmount Township, Pennsylvania, ended in the death of 32-year-old David James Wheeler. On the evening of April 28, 2014, Wheeler was at the Mossville Road home of his girlfriend, Damar Kachmarsky, when a dispute occurred. During the altercation, Kachmarsky's 16-year-old son shot Wheeler once in the abdomen with a shotgun. Wheeler was airlifted to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, where he was placed in an induced coma.
He succumbed to his injuries and passed away on May 2, 2014. The Luzerne County Coroner's office subsequently ruled his death a homicide.
The investigation that followed delved into the tumultuous relationship between Wheeler and Kachmarsky. State police and Luzerne County detectives explored whether the teenager's actions constituted criminal homicide or were an act of self-defense. Investigators uncovered a history of domestic violence perpetrated by Wheeler. Protection from abuse orders had previously been filed against him by both his mother and a former girlfriend, who alleged he was violent and had assaulted them. Law enforcement had been called to the residence on multiple occasions for domestic disturbances, and witnesses reported often seeing bruises on Kachmarsky.
While Wheeler's family publicly called for justice and for charges to be filed against the 16-year-old shooter, the investigation continued for several months. In January 2015, the Luzerne County District Attorney announced that no charges would be filed. The investigation concluded that the teenager was justified in using lethal force. It was determined that the teen acted in self-defense and in defense of his mother, who was being beaten by Wheeler at the time of the shooting. Reports from the investigation stated that the teen first fired a warning shot, but Wheeler remained aggressive, threatening to kill the boy and daring him to shoot. Following the investigation, Damar Kachmarsky pleaded guilty to a summary offense of disorderly conduct and paid a fine for obstructing the investigation by attempting to speak with her son while he was in a police cruiser on the night of the incident.
