VASS, NORTH CAROLINA — A tragic shooting early on Feb. 14 left two young adults dead in the Woodlake community of Vass, North Carolina, as police arrested a suspect in connection with the Valentine’s Day killings. Kateryna Tovmash, a 21-year-old Ukrainian refugee, and her boyfriend Matthew Wade, 28, an active-duty U.S. Army soldier, were found fatally shot inside their home, authorities said.
Suspect Arrested After Fleeing Scene
Law enforcement responded to reports of gunfire at a residence on Daphne Lane around 7:45 a.m. Saturday, where they discovered the bodies of the couple inside their bedroom. Investigators quickly identified 25-year-old Caleb Hayden Fosnaugh, believed to be Tovmash’s former boyfriend from Ohio, as the primary suspect.
Officials say Fosnaugh traveled several hours from Ohio to North Carolina before unlawfully entering the home. After the shooting, he fled the scene in a vehicle but was later located and taken into custody in Ohio later that same day following coordinated efforts between multiple law enforcement agencies.
Fosnaugh now faces charges including breaking and entering and two counts of murder in connection with the deadly attack.
Victims Remembered, Community in Shock
Tovmash’s family had fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine and resettled in the United States, where she lived for about two years before her life was cut short. Wade, originally from Mississippi, was stationed at Fort Bragg and remembered by loved ones as a dedicated servicemember with a bright future.
Social media posts from the couple’s family describe the anguish of losing two cherished lives in such tragic circumstances. Their deaths have also drawn attention because they mark another violent incident involving a Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina within the past year.
As the investigation continues, local officials are urging the community to support the families affected by this devastating crime.
