GLOVERSVILLE - Authorities are examining unknown substances found at the scene of the apparent accidental shooting of a 20-year-old local woman on Spring Street in May.
Police are continuing their investigation into the shooting and have not yet released details about the exact type of weapon fired, who owned the weapon or whether it was legal.
A resident of 174 Spring St., a rental property where the shooting occurred, has been charged with attempting to tamper with evidence, but police have not charged anyone in the actual shooting.
"We don't want to put anything out there that will impede our investigation," said Capt. of Detectives Anthony Clay. "Basically, the last part [of the investigation] is how that weapon got to that house and what hands it passed through."
Police are also working with the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team to identify unknown substances collected at the residence.
"We do have an idea of what we're looking at, but we can't say for sure until we get official lab results," Clay said.
Danielle Schonfarber, 20, was shot once in the torso around 4:30 a.m. May 17 inside an apartment in the two-family house.
Schonfarber, who lives in one of the towns bordering the city, was airlifted to Albany Medical Center for emergency surgery after the incident. She had been released from the intensive care unit by May 21.
Neither Clay nor Albany Medical Center would say whether she has been released from the hospital.
"Things were improving the last time we spoke," Clay said.
Only Michael Perreault, 23, who lives in the upstairs apartment at 174 Spring St., has been charged in the case so far.
He faces misdemeanor tampering with evidence and obstructing governmental administration after police say he tried to sneak back into the residence while they were waiting for a search warrant.
No one has been identified as the shooter yet. Clay said seven people, including the victim, were at the house at the time. Alcohol was being consumed, he said. Unnamed drugs also may have played a role in the incident.
After working with the Fulton County district attorney's office to obtain a search warrant that morning, police recovered the rifle, which was hidden before police arrived, as well as more than 50 other pieces of evidence.
The State Police Forensic Identification Unit and city police executed the search warrant issued by City Court Judge John Clo.
"We're going to make sure we've got the full picture and we know the people involved. We're confident in knowing the roles of the people who were on scene. We're following up on the background part of it now," he said.
Amanda Whistle covers Gloversville news. She can be reached at gloversville@leaderherald.com