A judge ordered a 17-year-old held after police linked him to the fatal shooting of Josh Fuller.
DAYTON, Ohio — A third teenager has been arrested in the fatal shooting of Josh Fuller, a 37-year-old man killed Sunday outside a convenience store on North Main Street, police said.
The arrest moved the case from a search for suspects into juvenile court, where a 17-year-old faced murder, aggravated robbery and felonious assault charges. Police said four teenagers were believed to be involved, and investigators were still looking for one of them after three arrests.
Dayton police were called Sunday to the Main Mart parking lot in the 2400 block of North Main Street after a 911 caller reported that a man had been shot. The caller told dispatchers the shooter was gone. Fuller was taken to a hospital, where he died. Homicide detectives then began reviewing the shooting, which officials said happened as Fuller walked out of the store.
Police said four teenagers approached Fuller and that shots were fired without a word. Two teenagers were arrested Tuesday, and a third was found Wednesday. In court Thursday, Judge Helen Wallace said police believe the 17-year-old who appeared before her was the person who fired the fatal shot. “You are charged with four counts of murder, aggravated robbery, and two counts of felonious assault,” Wallace said.
Fuller’s wife, Crista Sawvell, said her husband had gone to the store with their youngest son while she got ready for a family trip to a skate park. She said her son called her less than five minutes after leaving home. Sawvell said the boy told her his father had been shot and that she needed to come quickly. Fuller and Sawvell had two sons together.
The shooting happened near the North Riverdale area, where Dayton has been working on a violence interruption effort. City leaders said the issue has come up often in community forums and neighborhood walks. People near the store said Fuller’s family and friends gathered Monday night in the parking lot and released balloons in his memory.
Prosecutors argued Thursday that the 17-year-old should not be released. Wallace ordered him held in the juvenile justice center until his next court appearance. Sawvell said she agreed with keeping him in custody and said she believes the teenagers charged in the case should be tried as adults. No adult court transfer decision had been announced.
The case remains under investigation by the Dayton Police Department’s Homicide Unit. Three teenagers are in custody, one teenager remains sought, and the next court hearing for the 17-year-old had not been publicly detailed.
Author note: Last updated June 21, 2026.