Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office deputies, local law enforcement officers, and emergency medical service personnel responded to a residence located at 223 North Cherry Street in Gnadenhutten following a 911 dispatch tracking operation at approximately 4:17 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Dispatchers received an initial emergency call that disconnected, and upon placing a call back to the device, heard a faint voice requesting help. Officers traced the spare mobile phone to the address and gained entry with the assistance of a family member who unlocked the residence. Inside, first responders located 51-year-old Melissa E. Campbell, 67-year-old Gale F. Sanders, and 22-month-old Kozzar J. Lotut suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. All three victims were pronounced deceased at the scene.
Law Enforcement Investigation and Status
Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office detectives and forensic evidence specialists secured the residence and recovered a firearm at the scene. Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell reported that preliminary physical evidence points toward a suspected double murder-suicide, though investigators have not publicly named a specific shooter pending further ballistic and forensic testing. All three victims were transported to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office for official autopsies. Formal cause and manner of death determinations remain pending under the jurisdiction of Tuscarawas County Coroner Dr. Jeff Cameron. Authorities confirmed there is no active threat to the public.
