News

Actions

Wesley Chapel man shot to death in Maryland

Posted at 4:56 AM, Mar 31, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-31 05:59:21-04

A local man is dead, and two others are recovering after a triple shooting in Maryland.  After the rampage, the suspected shooter jumped in front of a commuter train, killing himself.  The man he shot to death, lived in the Tampa Bay area.  Now, his fiancee and children are left with questions about his death.

In every photo of Chad Daniel you can see a huge smile and the love for his girls.  His fiancee, Kandy Korte, is devastated, after learning a man shot Chad to death Easter Sunday at a Maryland truck stop.

"It was heartbreaking because I lost my best friend. I just never thought someone would do something like that," said Korte.

She and Chad lived together in Wesley Chapel for the past four years and were planning to get married this summer. Korte says Chad was an incredible father to his son and daughter, and father figure to her two daughters...who lost their own dad seven years ago.

"Chad was the type of person that would go out of his way to help anybody and he helped us so much.  He helped my daughter to ride a bike, and swim, and to do science projects. He loved his children so very much," said Korte.

The hardest part for her and the kids, is that there will always be unanswered questions about Chad's death. He was a truck driver, just making a routine pit stop, and it looks like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Maryland police call the shooting that killed him (and hurt another man) a case of mistaken identity. They believe the shooter had another target in mind. He later shot his wife, who survived, before jumping in front of a train, killing himself.

"It's just terrible," Korte said.

Korte's just trying to cling to all the amazing memories she has of a man she says was the kindest, most amazing person she'd ever met.

"He was such a good person. And he certainly didn't deserve this, and he's going to be missed so much," Korte said.

Chad Daniel's funeral services will be held in his home state of Georgia.

-----