A gunman killed nine people and injured at least 27 in Dayton, Ohio’s Oregon Historic District shortly after 1 am ET Sunday. The attack was the US’s second mass shooting in 24 hours, following another mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
Police say the shooter, who they believe acted alone, is dead.
The shooting took place on the sidewalks of the 400 block of East 5th Street in Dayton’s downtown, a historic and bustling part of the city that features bars and nightclubs. The shooter opened fire on the street using a long gun.
Speaking at a press conference early Sunday morning, Dayton Assistant Police Chief Matt Carper said that the FBI was on the scene and will assist with the investigation. He added that officers were in the area conducting routine patrols when the shooting began. “There’s a very short timeline of violence. For that, we’re very fortunate,” he said.
What we know
Nine people were killed.
At least 27 people were wounded.
The shooter was killed by “multiple Dayton police officers,” according to a police spokesperson.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said that the shooter was wearing body armor, used a “.223-caliber, high-capacity magazine,” and had additional magazines with him.
Whaley also said Dayton police officers “neutralized the shooter” in less than one minute. “While this is a terribly sad day for our city, I am amazed by the quick response of Dayton police that saved literally hundreds of lives,” she said.
On Sunday morning, President Trump tweeted that federal law enforcement agencies are working in close concert with local police in both Dayton and El Paso. He also expressed his condolences to the people of Dayton and El Paso, writing: “God bless the people of El Paso Texas. God bless the people of Dayton, Ohio.”
The FBI, local and state law enforcement are working together in El Paso and in Dayton, Ohio. Information is rapidly being accumulated in Dayton. Much has already be learned in El Paso. Law enforcement was very rapid in both instances. Updates will be given throughout the day!
Dayton police have set up a “family assistance center” at the Dayton Convention Center, less than half a mile down the road from the scene of the shooting:
#OregonDistrict#update The family assistance center is up and running at the Convention Center. Family and friends looking for information on loved ones can come to the Convention Center or call 937-333-8430
Fran and I are absolutely heartbroken over the horrible attack that occurred this morning in Dayton. We join those across Ohio and this country in offering our prayers to victims and their families.
At a press conference, Whaley said local hospitals have treated 27 people, and that they had discharged 15 as of 10 am ET.
Hospital officials said four people remain in critical or serious condition as of mid-Sunday morning. Six people are in fair condition; some of those people will require additional operations.
Appearing on CNN on Sunday morning, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said the shooter is a “young, white male,” from a town outside of Dayton.
Mayor Whaley said the city is planning a vigil for 8 pm ET Sunday night. Details were to be shared later in the day.
Doug Doherty, the chief of police in Bellbrook, Ohio, a town about 15 miles southeast of Dayton, told local outlet WHIO that his department helped the Dayton police department execute a search warrant at a house in Bellbrook.
Doherty said the warrant was issued “is in connection to the events” in Dayton, but he declined to say whether the house is connected to the shooter or if any evidence was recovered.
Police have identified the shooter as 24-year-old Connor Betts of Bellbrook, Ohio.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) told local outlet WHIO on Sunday that he had called Sen. Mitch McConnell and asked him to cancel the Senate’s recess “tomorrow” in order to have a vote on a House-passed bill that would mandate background checks on all gun purchases.
Brown also praised the local police department’s response time: “With the ammunition he had, he could have possibly injured and killed well over a hundred people,” he said. “These are weapons for military use. This isn’t a hunting weapon or a self-protection weapon that people have a right to. This is a weapon people shouldn’t be allowed to buy for civilian use.”
Officials have released the names and ages of the nine people killed. They are:
Lois L. Oglesby, 27
Megan K. Betts, 22
Saeed Saleh, 38
Derrick R. Fudge, 57
Logan M. Turner, 30
Nicholas P. Cummer, 25
Thomas J. McNichols, 25
Beatrice N. Warren-Curtis, 36
Monica E. Brickhouse, 39
Assistant Police Chief Matt Carper confirmed that Megan Betts is the suspect’s sister. He said that previous reports that she had been found dead in her car are incorrect: “All nine shooting victims were located in the Oregon district.” He declined to discuss a motive.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) called attention to the Dayton Oregon District Tragedy Fund, created by Dayton’s regional community foundation to raise money for victims, and asked the public to donate.
At a Sunday evening press conference, Police Chief Richard S. Biehl laid out the clearest timeline yet of the morning’s shooting: the suspect was engaged and killed within 30 seconds of the first gunshot, after police observed the suspect “actively firing and attempting to enter a crowded liquor establishment.”
The suspect’s sister was an early victim, and Chief Biehl said that the two siblings arrived in the Oregon District in the same vehicle before separating for the evening. He added that another person who was in the car with them has been interviewed.
The officers who engaged the shooter are: Sergeant William C. Knight; Officer Brian Rolfes; Officer Jeremy Campbell; Officer Vincent Carter; Officer Ryan Nabel; Officer David Denlinger. All but Knight have served in the Dayton Police Department since 2016. Knight is a 22-year veteran of the police department.
Chief Biehl said that the suspect had a minimal criminal history that only included traffic violations. The suspect committed the shooting wearing a mask, a bulletproof vest and hearing protection, and was armed with a 100-round drum magazine.
Chief Biehl said the suspect possessed multiple weapons, but the gun used in the shooting was originally ordered from Texas, and was purchased by the suspect from a local firearms dealer. A second gun, which the suspect left in his vehicle, was also bought locally. The chief added that the weapons were purchased legally and that the drum magazine used is also legal.
Chief Biehl declined to discuss a possible motive so early in the investigation, adding that there is no evidence at this time to suggest a “bias motive.”
