Store owner Roger Covault, 71, and Robert Harris, 53, were found dead inside the store.
The shooting happened on Tuesday afternoon at the business on Wayne Avenue. Investigators said Phillips and Purdue were armed and were wearing masks when they entered the business in an attempted robbery.
Detectives said the men fled the scene but was captured a short time later. Police said an off-duty military police officer who lives nearby said he heard the shots and then ran to help.
The military police officer said he managed to get one man in custody and keep him until officers arrived. Police said officers managed to catch the second suspect a short time later.
People who live in the area said the neighborhood is generally quiet and that there are no problems. They also said that Covault was a good man and that he always gave back to the community and the neighborhood.
Phillips and Purdue are being held in the Montgomery County Jail on murder charges.
Police: 2 Fatally Gunned Down In Dayton Market
A robbery attempt ended in gunfire Tuesday at a Dayton market and left two people dead.
The shooting happened around 2 p.m. at Covault Market on Wayne Avenue. Police said officers on routine patrol responded to the business on a robbery in progress call.
Police said the officers arrived and found the shop’s owner and a long-time male employee dead inside the store. They said an off-duty military police officer with the Air National Guard who lives nearby heard the gunshots and ran to the scene.
Investigators said the military police officer apprehended one of the suspected robbers who was fleeing from the scene.
Police said officers captured the other suspect a short time later. Investigators said the two men who were caught were questioned and arrested.
Dectives said store owner 71-year-old Roger Covault and long-time employee 53-year-old Robert Harris were killed in the shooting.