David D. Barkus, 30, was one of four people killed in a mass shooting on August 15, 2002, in Morea, Pennsylvania. Barkus, from Delano, was visiting Raienhna Bechtel in Mahanoy Township that night with a friend, Kristen L. Tragus. What began as a late-night gathering at the kitchen table ended when Raienhna’s estranged husband, 26-year-old Michael H. Bechtel, entered the home despite a protection-from-abuse order and opened fire with a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol.

Police say Michael shot Raienhna, their 3-year-old son Jacob, Barkus, and Tragus in the head. Barkus and Tragus were found dead at the kitchen table; Raienhna was on the floor nearby, and Jacob was found shot in a bed upstairs. Michael Bechtel shot himself and was found alive nearby; investigators identified him as the sole suspect. He was charged with homicide and related counts, and in January 2004 pleaded guilty to the four murders, receiving four consecutive life terms.

Barkus is survived by a young daughter; his sister and mother spoke in court about the family’s loss. Did anyone know David or remember him from Delano who can share more about his life?