American Slain in El Salvador; Motive Unclear

An American man who had lived in El Salvador for five years was shot dead Saturday, and a U.S. Embassy spokesman said it was not known if the shooting was connected with this country’s civil war.

U.S. and Salvadoran officials said Peter Stryker Hascall, 35, was shot in the throat with a .45-cal. magnum at about 3 a.m. They said the unidentified gunmen escaped.

“Apparently, he (Hascall) belonged to the merchant marine,” said U.S. Embassy spokesman Jim Williams.

He said it was not clear if Hascall’s death was a street crime or connected with the six-year-old civil war between leftist guerrillas and the government.

“I am unaware of the circumstances and motives of the crime,” Williams said.

Carried Two Guns

Judge Rosario Gochez Castro de Paz of the 3rd District Court, who took charge of the case, said Hascall was carrying two handguns and a Salvadoran gun permit.

The judge quoted Hascall’s wife, Margarita Galeas, 37, a Salvadoran, as saying Hascall left home Friday night to have a few drinks with friends.

The judge quoted Galeas as saying Hascall returned at about 2 a.m. Saturday with two unidentified men and left immediately afterward, saying he was going to negotiate a business deal.

The judge quoted Galeas as saying Hascall that sold seagoing vessels for a Morgan City, La., company.

Wife Heard Shots

She said she heard two shots in the street about 10 minutes after her husband left, but other witnesses counted five shots, Castro de Paz said.

Authorities said Hascall carried documents showing he was born in New York City and was issued a merchant marine card in Houston in 1981.

An Associated Press reporter who saw the body at a local mortuary said Hascall had the word “Atlacatl” tattooed on his right forearm. Atlacatl is the name of a Salvadoran Indian chieftain who fought the Spanish conquest as well as that of an army infantry battalion trained by the United States to fight leftist guerrillas.