The shooting followed an argument as the couple drove home from a party in Rockledge, according to investigators.

ROCKLEDGE, Pa. — A 59-year-old Philadelphia man is charged with first-degree murder after authorities said he used his wife’s gun to shoot her during an argument in a vehicle Saturday night in Rockledge, leaving her wounded on the road before walking away.

Investigators say the case centers on a fast-moving chain of events that began at a party, continued during a drive home and ended when a SEPTA bus driver reported hearing gunfire near Huntington Pike and Filmore Street. Jose Luna is accused in the death of 48-year-old Alisett Schubert, and prosecutors say the witness account, Luna’s own statements to police and the recovery of the victim’s gun quickly shaped the case. Luna was arraigned the next day and remains jailed ahead of a preliminary hearing.

According to authorities, Rockledge police were sent to the area at about 10:05 p.m. Feb. 21 after a SEPTA bus driver used his emergency system to report a shooting and provide a description of the suspect. Officers found Schubert on the ground outside her silver Nissan Murano with multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to Abington Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Earlier that evening, prosecutors say, Luna and Schubert had been at a party. Investigators said Luna later told them he was angry because he felt Schubert had “disrespected him in front of others.” As the two drove home, the argument continued. Authorities say Schubert stopped the SUV in the roadway and told Luna to get out and walk home, and the fight then turned physical.

Investigators said Schubert kept a .38-caliber revolver in her purse between the front seats and that the gun was registered to her. Prosecutors allege that Luna grabbed for the purse, struggled with Schubert and gained control of the revolver. Court accounts cited by local media say Schubert cried out and tried to flee the vehicle after the first shot. Authorities allege Luna then fired four more times. The SEPTA driver told detectives he heard two or three pops, saw a man get out of the front passenger seat, walk to the driver’s side and open the door, and then watched the woman fall out. The driver then pulled over and called in the emergency. Officials have not publicly detailed the full forensic findings, including the exact sequence of every shot, and court records available in news reports do not answer all remaining questions about the final seconds inside the SUV.

The case also drew attention because of what prosecutors say happened right after the shooting. Authorities said Philadelphia police found Luna about a mile from the scene. As officers approached, he put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, investigators said, but the weapon was out of ammunition. He was arrested without further violence. Law enforcement also said Luna called Schubert’s mother after the shooting and told her that her daughter was dead, though he did not explain how she died. Local reporting, based on the affidavit, also said Schubert had previously told a friend that Luna had been physically and mentally abusive and that the friend had once seen Luna punch her in the face. Those details may become important later as prosecutors and defense lawyers argue about motive, intent and the history of the relationship.

Luna is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime. He was arraigned Feb. 22 before Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard. Because first-degree murder is charged, bail was not available, and he was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for 10 a.m. March 5 before Magisterial District Judge John D. Kessler. At that stage, prosecutors are expected to present enough evidence to show the case should move forward. The broader homicide case would then continue in Montgomery County court, where the questions will include premeditation, the reliability of Luna’s statements and how witness testimony and physical evidence fit together.

Rockledge is a small borough just north of Philadelphia, and the shooting unfolded on a road busy enough that a transit driver became the key first witness. That detail gave the case an immediate public dimension. The witness did not intervene physically, but his quick radio report appears to have helped officers find Luna within a short time. The scene described by police was stark: a stopped SUV, a woman collapsing from the driver’s side and a suspect leaving on foot with a handgun. Prosecutors have kept their public account narrow, sticking mostly to the timeline, the witness report and the charges. Luna has not entered a plea in the public reporting now available, and the allegations against him have not been tested at trial.

For now, the case stands at the charging stage, with Luna jailed and the next public milestone set for the March 5 preliminary hearing in Montgomery County.

Author note: Last updated March 22, 2026.