A suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a man at the Dollar General Store on Coshocton Avenue in Mount Vernon. A call at 4:17 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, prompted Mount Vernon Police Department officers to respond to the store located in the Kroger Plaza.
According to a Mount Vernon Police Department news release, when officers arrived at the store, they found a single adult male victim who was deceased. Officers conducted a search of the building and cleared it without finding any other victims. Witnesses informed officers that the suspect had fled the scene and provided descriptions. The building was secured as a crime scene.
Knox County Sheriff's deputies also responded to the scene and located the reported suspect vehicle. They conducted a traffic stop and detained two adult occupants, one male and one female.
The news release said that Mount Vernon Police Department detectives were called to both the scene of the shooting and the traffic stop. They were joined by investigators from several agencies, including the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Knox County Coroner's Office, and Knox County Prosecutor's Office.
According to the release, Patrick D. Yoder, 36, was identified as the male suspect detained by deputies and subsequently arrested. He will be charged with aggravated murder with a firearms specification. Yoder was taken into custody without incident and will undergo a medical evaluation before being held at Knox County Jail without bond.
Additional details about the incident will be released as appropriate as investigations continue. The victim's family has been notified; however, under provisions of Ohio's Marsy's Law, their identification will not be disclosed at this time.
