Gunman who killed mom, 2 more, himself ignored bipolar meds

PARKVILLE, Mo. – A suburban Kansas City man who fatally shot his newlywed mother, her husband and the gunman’s ex-wife, before killing himself, was mentally ill and experiencing financial problems.

The Kansas City Star reports that neighbour and friend Carol Nixon says 50-year-old Douglas Pauling refused to take medication for his bipolar disorder, but that there were no signs he would become violent Sunday at a home in Parkville, Missouri.

Pauling’s 14-year-old daughter escaped unhurt after the shooting at a family gathering and called 911.

Those killed include Pauling’s mother, 73-year-old Sharmalee Pauling; her new husband, 66-year-old Carl Deruyscher; and the teen’s mother, 49-year-old Margaret “Maggie” Girard.

Court records also show Douglas Pauling was facing a tax judgment and liens.

Parkville lies about 10 miles (16 kilometres) northwest of Kansas City.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com