Temple University officer shooting: What we know about accused shooter Miles Pfeffer

A shooting Saturday night claimed the life of a 31-year-old Temple University police officer, the Philadelphia college's first line of duty death in its history.

Police have charged an 18-year-old man from Bucks County with murder, robbery and carjacking in the killing of Officer Chris Fitzgerald. Police are still investigating, but here's what we know Monday morning:

Temple University, city mourns:Temple University police officer shot and killed near campus; Bucks County man charged with murder

Who was Temple University Officer Chris Fitzgerald?

Temple University Police Officer Chris Fitzgerald, 31, was shot and killed on duty Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 while on-duty near the college campus in Philadelphia. He joined the force in 2021 and was a husband and father of four.
Temple University Police Officer Chris Fitzgerald, 31, was shot and killed on duty Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 while on-duty near the college campus in Philadelphia. He joined the force in 2021 and was a husband and father of four.

Temple University Officer Chris Fitzgerald was working his patrol shift Saturday on and around the North Philadelphia campus Saturday when he was shot in the head and killed. He intervened in a robbery in progress.

Fitzgerald, 31, joined the Temple force in October 2021 after spending time as a correctional officer in Lehigh County and as a member of the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office and housing authority police department.

He was married and the father of four children. A Go Fund Me campaign has been set up to support the family.

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Fitzgerald was also an avid runner and founder of the Philadelphia Hood 2 Hood Running Series, and worked with the group to promote an end to gun violence in the city.

His father has a long history in law enforcement. Joel Fitzgerald spent 17 years on the Philadelphia force and was the former police chief in Allentown. He is now the Chief of Police and Emergency Management for the Regional Transportation District in Denver.

Who is Miles Pfeffer and what happened on Quarry Road in Buckingham?

Authorities arrest Miles Pfeffer, 18, of Buckingham, at his Quarry Road home on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, using handcuffs belonging to Temple University Police Officer Chris Fitzgerald, who was killed Saturday.
Authorities arrest Miles Pfeffer, 18, of Buckingham, at his Quarry Road home on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, using handcuffs belonging to Temple University Police Officer Chris Fitzgerald, who was killed Saturday.

Miles Pfeffer, 18, of Buckingham, was arrested Sunday morning and formally charged with murder and other offenses in the death of Temple University Police Officer Chris Fitzgerald hours later.

Police say he fled the murder scene and returned to his Quarry Road home, a 20-acre property called Boxley Farm, some 42 miles away from the North Philadelphia campus. Published reports say Pfeffer, who turned 18 last month, called his mother to pick him up in the city. They have lived in Buckingham since 2018.

On Sunday morning, police from local, state and federal agencies arrested him at the Buckingham home, using Fitzgerald's handcuffs. They spent a portion of the day searching the home and were seen on news footage going through a fire pit as Pfeffer allegedly told police he melted the gun used in the shooting.

He is charged with murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking and weapons crimes. HE was arraigned Monday and will have a preliminary hearing March 7.

On his Instagram posts, Pfeffer flashed cash and showed his love for dirt bikes. One post read, "Work smart not hard make stupid decisions face stupid consequences."

Pfeffer attended classes in the Central Bucks School District through September 2019.

He remains in custody and is ineligible for bail, which was formally denied at a hearing Monday.

Where did Miles Pfeffer get the gun and were others involved?

It is not known where Pfeffer got the gun used in the shooting.

No one else has been charged in the shooting, but Temple University Police and Philadelphia Police are still investigating.

Philadelphia police officers investigate the fatal shooting of a Temple University police officer near the campus on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia police officers investigate the fatal shooting of a Temple University police officer near the campus on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Philadelphia.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Temple officer shooting: Chris Fitzgerald, Miles Pfeffer lives collide