Tamaqua death ruled homicide

A shooting death in Tamaqua last week that left an 18-year-old man dead was ruled a homicide by the Schuylkill County coroner.

An autopsy was completed on Eric Tavener in Dauphin County after the shooting, and Coroner David J. Moylan III, after conferring with Dr. Wayne Ross, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy, said that Tavener’s death was a single gunshot wound and ruled it a homicide.

Tavener was shot by 22-year-old Francis Witmayer Jr. of Piersol Street, Tamaqua, on Feb. 27 after the gun he was trying to disassemble went off.

Witmayer’s preliminary hearing on Tuesday was continued after he did not secure an attorney.

Additional details about the shooting were released this week by Tamaqua Police Chief Henry Woods.

According to an affidavit filed by Tamaqua police, officers were dispatched to 104 Gay St. at 3:08 p.m. for a report of a gunshot victim.

Officers found Tavener lying on the front porch of the home with a gunshot wound to the chest.

Witnesses at the scene said Tavener had been shot by Witmayer.

Witmayer was sitting in his vehicle, which was parked on Lafayette Street a short distance from the scene, and taken into custody without incident.

Police also recovered a silver and black Taurus G2C 9 mm handgun from the vehicle.

An investigation was conducted and police learned that the shooting had taken place in a third-floor bedroom at the residence.

Witnesses said Tavener had been in possession of the gun which belonged to Witmayer. Both witnesses claimed to have been lying on the bed, while Tavener was sitting at the foot end of the bed on the edge. The witnesses said that Tavener and Witmayer were playing around with the gun when they heard a loud bang. Tavener then said, “You shot me.” The pair of witnesses told police that they were all smoking marijuana.

Tamaqua Police interviewed Witmayer, who said that Tavener was playing around with the gun and that Witmayer got it back from him when Tavener set the gun on the bed.

Witmayer said there was no magazine inside and did not think the gun was loaded. Witmayer said he was standing near the closet while Tavener was still seated at the edge of the bed. Witmayer told police he went to disassemble the weapon and that’s when the gunshot struck Tavener.

Upon investigation, police observed a live round lying on the floor by the bedroom closet and a bullet hole through the television.

Tamaqua Police were assisted by Rush Township Police Department, Coaldale Police, West Penn Police, Pennsylvania State Police and the Tamaqua Ambulance.

Tavener, who lived at the residence, was taken to St. Luke’s Miners Campus in Coaldale by the Tamaqua Ambulance, where he died of his injuries at 5:08 p.m.

Witmayer faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

He was arraigned Feb. 27 before District Judge Christina Hale and sent to Schuylkill County Prison before posting $100,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. April 21 before District Judge Stephen Bayer.