A 35-year-old man shot and killed his father Friday night in their residence after an argument.
The victim was identified as Ronnie Poe, 60, by his son, Aaron Poe, 31, and confirmed to the Times-Union by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.
Ronnie Poe was killed by a gunshot wound to the head by his son, Ryan Daniel Poe, 35, according to a KCSD press release.
Aaron Poe said his mother, Deanna Poe, and brother, Ryan, were in the mobile home at 690 E. Levi Lee Road, Warsaw, at the time of the shooting. KCSD confirmed both the victim and suspect lived in the trailer.
KCSD deputies responded to the address at 9:04 p.m. after receiving a 911 call of a potential shooting, according to the release. Officers were advised that the suspect had retreated to his bedroom. Ryan subsequently exited the residence and was immediately taken into custody without incident, according to the release.
Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office pronounced Ronnie dead at the scene from the gunshot wound.
Aaron said his father just turned 60 May 17 and they have lived in the trailer for 20 years. The family was having dinner when his father and brother began to argue.
“My dad and brother got in an argument. Ryan wasn’t pulling his weight and copped an attitude, and dad tried to straighten him out and told him to get out of the house and cool off. Dad turned his back for a minute talking to me, and Ryan came out with a gun and shot him right in front of me, and I caught Dad before he hit the ground,” Aaron said Friday night.
Aaron said the gun was an heirloom from his dad’s grandfather and Ronnie gave the gun to Ryan.
“It was an old hunting gun, a single-shot 410,” Aaron said.
Terry Korb, brother-in-law of Ronnie, said he saw the shooting coming.
“Ryan has gotten into problems before and they fought like father and son, but no previous violence,” Terry said.
Donna Glant, the Poes’ neighbor of 14 years, said she did not have a lot of interaction with the family.
“I knew the son was suicidal,” Glant said.
William Korb, father-in-law of Ronnie, said it is a sad situation because his daughter lost her husband and son.
According to a press release from KCSD, the suspect has been taken into custody by sheriff's deputies and is currently being held at the Kosciusko County Jail. Ryan was arrested on a preliminary charge of felony murder.
KCSD was assisted with the investigation by members of the Kosciusko County Major Crimes Task Force/Crime Scene Unit and the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office.
(Story By The Times Union)
