Suspect in Carey shooting that killed 2 to face charges

11/2/2013

CAREY, Ohio -- Authorities expect to file charges Monday against a Tiffin area man who they say shot and killed a man and a woman Friday night at the Carey Conservation and Sportsman's Association.

Roger E. Fredritz, of rural Carey, and Cynthia L. Hawkinberry, of rural Tiffin, both 49 years old, were pronounced dead inside the club, according to the the Wyandot County Sheriff's Office. Both victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.

The suspect, Richard L. Clark, 65, of rural Tiffin, is in sheriff's office custody, and expected to appear Monday in Upper Sandusky Municipal Court once formal charges have been filed, said Det. Sgt. Kerwin Wisely.

Sergeant Wisely declined to say where Mr. Clark was being held or what kind of charges the agency anticipates filing.

At 9:23 p.m., the sheriff's office received numerous 911 calls advising of an active shooter at the conservation club at 2877 Township Hwy. 106, several miles east of Carey in Crawford Township.

"The shooter did know both victims," Sergeant Wisely said, declining to elaborate.

Upon arriving at the club, sheriff's deputies and Carey police officers were told that the shooter remained inside. They confronted a white male brandishing a handgun and he was taken into custody without further incident.

Emergency medical responders from Carey, Upper Sandusky, and Sycamore were waiting nearby and then called to the club after the suspect was in custody.

The conservation club was organized in 1939, according to its Web site, and incorporated in 1959. The association has 1,256 members and offers fishing, camping, and trap shooting, and handgun instruction, according to the site. It also plays host to Ohio Department of Natural Resources safety courses and Boy Scout and Girl Scout outings.

Carey, Ohio, is a community of about 3,600 people located 65 miles southeast of Toledo.