Hooversville man dies of multiple gunshot wounds, Johnstown man charged with homicide

Editor's note: This story was updated June 6, 2023.

SHADE TWP. – Gregory J. Mostoller called state police Friday morning from a farm along Charles Street in the township, saying, "A guy came at me with a wrench, and I killed him."

The 67-year-old man, of Johnstown, was waiting for police at the site of the shooting. He was charged at 11 p.m. Friday before on-call Boswell District Judge Susan Mankamyer with homicide.

The man, who was shot at least seven times, was Clifton Earl Johnson, 64, of Hooversville. Johnson was identified by police by his driver's license photo, according to Trooper Daniel Kephart, in a probable-cause affidavit.

Johnson was owner/operator of Johnson Trucking LLC, Fallen Timber Road, Hooversville, for more than 30 years, according to his obituary. He also was a farmer who bred and raised horses for many years.

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"The victim was observed supine partially under a sliding barn door used to assess the building," Kephart wrote in the criminal complaint about Johnson. "Expended shell casings were observed near his body and an apparent gunshot wound was observed in his right eye," Kephart wrote.

Mostoller told police at the scene several times that he had killed a man who charged him with a wrench and that the gun was in the garage on the workbench, according to the affidavit. A .45 caliber pistol was found on the bench, state police said. The handgun contained one live round of ammunition that was chambered. The magazine was empty.

"The live round bore the same head stamp as the 12 spent shell casings near the victim," according to the affidavit.

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During the execution of the search warrant, a preliminary examination of Johnson's body determined he sustained approximately seven gunshot wounds, four in his back, two in his bicep that appeared to have broken his upper arm, and one in his right eye, Kephart wrote.

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So far there has been no facts released by state police on what Johnson and Mostoller were doing at the farm along Charles Street.

The Somerset County Assessment file shows that the property at 837 Charles Street was listed as owned by Glenn Mostoller and his wife, Mary K., both who are deceased. Gregory Mostoller was listed as their only living child.

Mostoller is now in the Somerset County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing. Homicide is a nonbondable offense in Pennsylvania.

Mostoller's preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled before Windber District Judge William Seger at 1:15 p.m. June 14.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Hooversville man dies of many gunshot wounds, Johnstown man charged