In the state of North Carolina (USA), on February 14, a 21-year-old refugee from Ukraine, Kateryna Tovmash, and her boyfriend were shot dead.
Points of attention
- Kateryna Tovmash, a 21-year-old Ukrainian refugee, and her boyfriend were tragically shot dead in North Carolina by her ex-boyfriend, who has been detained by the police.
- The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Caleb Hayden Fosnau, fled the scene but was later arrested in Ohio for a double homicide investigation.
Ex-boyfriend suspected of murdering Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina
On the morning of February 14, police received a report of a shooting at a private home in the town of Woodlake, and upon arrival, they found two dead inside.
One of the victims was Matthew Wade, 28, an active-duty U.S. Army soldier. The other victim was Kateryna Tovmash, 21, a Ukrainian refugee who was caring for her younger sisters.
Authorities identified the suspect as Catherine's ex-boyfriend, 25-year-old Caleb Hayden Fosnau.
The suspect left the scene before officers arrived. A warrant has been issued for his arrest on charges of trespassing and two counts of murder. Investigators say he left the county after the shooting.
Police later told ABC11 that Fosnau was located and arrested in Ohio later Saturday. The suspect is currently in custody for a double homicide investigation.
Kateryna's brother, Mykhailo Tovmash, confirmed his sister's death on Instagram, noting that Fosnau "forced one of our siblings to wake her up, and then shot her in bed, taking her life. He also shot her boyfriend, who was sleeping next to her."
Kateryna Tovmash is from the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, a local Facebook group reported. The girl left Ukraine after the full-scale Russian invasion and lived in the United States for two years.
This is the second murder of a Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina in the past year. In late August 2025, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska was killed on a train at a train station in Charlotte, North Carolina. Zarutska came to the United States as a refugee in search of a safe place. Law enforcement officers determined that the murder was committed by 34-year-old homeless DeCarlos Brown.
