A man who allegedly fatally shot his estranged wife, her father and another man during the abduction of his 4-year-old daughter in Tamarac early Sunday was arrested on multiple murder charges after he and the child were found safe following a statewide Amber Alert, authorities said.
A man accused of abducting his 4-year-old daughter and shooting three people to death in the process in Tamarac is now behind bars, leaving devastated loved ones and stories of frustrated efforts at justice in his wake.
The suspect, 43-year-old Nathan Gingles, was arrested on three counts of first-degree murder with a firearm, along with violating an injunction relating to not having contact with the child or child's mother, and interfering with custody of a minor, Broward Sheriff's Office officials said Monday.
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WATCH HEREAuthorities said he shot and killed his estranged wife’s father, then her and finally, a man who family says tried to help her in Tamarac. He allegedly took his 4-year-old daughter, who was found safe after a statewide Amber Alert was issued in North Lauderdale.
NBC6 is taking a closer look at the victims of the shooting spree. They are Mary Gingles, her father David Ponzer, and Andrew Ferrin.
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David Ponzer
David Ponzer, 64, was Mary Gingles’ father, and he was the first victim of Sunday’s killing spree.
It was just after 6 a.m. when deputies got a call about a shooting in the 9700 block of North Grand Duke Circle.
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The deputies searched and found Ponzner shot to death on the back patio of a home at 5897 North Plum Bay Parkway, BSO officials said.
It’s not clear if Ponzer knew about his daughter’s violent marriage, or why he may have been shot.
Mary Gingles
Mary Gingles, 34, had been married to the suspect since Dec. 26, 2018, and they shared a 4-year-old daughter, court records show.
She and Nathan Gingles were going through a divorce after separating in February of last year, which according to court documents, Mary requested on the grounds that her husband isolated, controlled and terrorized her and their child.
A divorce petition from 2024 states that the mother and daughter were both physically abused by Nathan Gingles. On one occasion, it states that their daughter watched him drag Mary up the stairs while in a chokehold.
Mary wrote that he once “sang songs about killing” her while in a drug-induced state, after he stayed up all night snorting Adderall. She said he owned about 20 firearms and frequently threatened to kill her.
On Sunday, after deputies found Ponzer shot to death, they continued to search for May until they found her body inside a home at 5888 North Plum Bay Parkway, across the street from where her father was found shot and killed, BSO said.
According to an uncle of the third man who was killed, Mary had fled the home, knocking on doors and begging for help before she died.
Authorities have yet to confirm those details.
Mary’s divorce attorney, who said she represented her in two separate domestic violence cases, called the shooting a “senseless tragedy.”
One of Mary's friends, Lupita, told NBC6: "It shouldn't get to this point. The system needs to be fixed. That's where my frustration is coming in, because loved ones... look at all the lives that have been affected because of one person's action."
Andrew Ferrin
Andrew Ferrin, 36, was also found shot to death at 5888 North Plum Bay Parkway.
Ferrin's family members said Mary Gingles was trying to get help when Ferrin answered the door and was shot.
“It’s unimaginable,” Ferrin's uncle said. “A woman was in the neighborhood knocking on actual doors, and my nephew who was home happened to open the door for her."
It was unclear if Ferrin had ever met Mary or her father.
