Pittsburgh Post-GazetteObituary: Alexander Tyler / Former Ohio Wesleyan student killed in gun mishapJan. 20, 1990 - Feb. 27, 2011Thursday, March 10, 2011
By Sally Kalson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Alexander Tyler, 2009 photoAlexander Tyler, who grew up in Pittsburgh to become a "beloved rascal" among his friends and classmates at Ohio Wesleyan University, died Feb. 27 of an accidental gunshot wound to the head.
Mr. Tyler, 21, was taking a semester off classes. He was with a group of friends at his off-campus apartment in downtown Delaware, central Ohio, when the gun he was handling reportedly went off. His roommate, Shahryar Khan, told a 911 dispatcher that Mr. Tyler thought the weapon was unloaded.
Preliminary autopsy results supported accidental death, but Delaware Detective Sgt. John Radabaugh said the final results could take six weeks.
Mr. Tyler grew up in Oakland with his father, John Tyler, and sister, Christina. His mother, Gabrielle Tyler, died in 1997.
He attended the former Homewood Montessori school from kindergarten through seventh grade, completed eighth grade at the former Frick International Studies Academy and earned his high school diploma from the Hyde School in Bath, Maine.
Following graduation, he spent a year working at a series of odd jobs in Providence, R.I., then enrolled at Ohio Wesleyan University in the fall of 2009. He became an active member of Sigma Chi fraternity and made many friends on campus, said his roommate.
"Alex was very honest and genuine, always cracking jokes and very loyal," said Mr. Khan. "He was the kind of friend who would carry me on his back if my feet gave out."
Unsure of where his liberal arts education was leading, Mr. Tyler left school after three terms to figure out his next step. He was interested in law enforcement, said his father, and had talked about joining the FBI. Meanwhile, he was working at a firing range and remained friends with his classmates and fraternity brothers.
The university held a memorial service in honor of Mr. Tyler on March 1, with some 300 mourners jammed into the campus center. About a half-dozen friends and faculty members spoke, as did the university chaplain, the Rev. Jon Powers, who called Mr. Tyler a "beloved rascal."
The Delaware Gazette said that he was recalled as "an emotional and genuine person who excelled at basketball, soccer and speaking French. Those characteristics made him sometimes headstrong and confrontational, but overall he was charismatic, loyal and caring."
At the end of the service, Mr. Tyler's fraternity brothers laid white roses on a makeshift altar.
In addition to his father, Mr. Tyler is survived by his sister, Christina Tyler of Los Angeles, and stepmother, Michele Tyler.
His father said there will be another memorial service in Providence, R.I., and that his son will be cremated.
Sally Kalson can be reached at skalson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1610.First published on March 10, 2011 at 12:00 amCopyright ©1997 - PG Publishing Co., Inc.
