A woman was fatally shot Tuesday morning, Oct. 20, at a residence in Portage County, prompting a search that ended with the suspect’s arrest along Interstate 77 in Guernsey County, authorities said.
According to Portage County Sheriff Bruce D. Zuchowski, dispatchers received a 911 call around 9:27 a.m. reporting a possible shooting inside a home along state Route 183 in Atwater Township.
Detectives responding to the residence located a woman who appeared to have suffered at least one gunshot wound. The victim later died from her injuries.
Investigators obtained a description and identity of the suspect and issued a be-on-the-lookout alert to surrounding law enforcement agencies. The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s aviation unit was also notified and assisted in the search.
Authorities subsequently located and stopped the suspect’s vehicle on southbound Interstate 77 in Guernsey County.
The suspect was positively identified and taken into custody without incident, according to the sheriff’s office.
The suspect was transported to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Cambridge headquarters, where detectives from the Portage County Sheriff’s Office attempted to question him.
Authorities said the suspect refused to answer questions or provide a statement.
Following his arrest, the suspect was returned to Portage County and booked into the county jail. The sheriff’s office confirmed he has been charged in connection with the woman’s death.
The names of the victim and suspect were not immediately released in the sheriff’s announcement. Authorities also did not disclose the relationship between the two or what may have led to the shooting.
Zuchowski credited cooperation between the Portage County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol for the quick identification and apprehension of the suspect.
The sheriff’s office also extended condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
Additional details about the charges and circumstances surrounding the shooting were not immediately available.
