Gunman opened fire outside of Ned Peppers, a bar in the Oregon nightlife district in Dayton, Ohio
Guns and grudges in Dayton and El Paso mass shootings
Contributed By:The 411 News
Neighbors recall Dayton shooter being 'good kid'; others paint different picture
At a 3:15 p.m. news conference Sunday, Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl released details from investigations into the early Sunday morning mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio coming just hours after the Saturday morning mass shooting in El Paso, TX.
Nine people were killed by the shooter identified as Connor Betts, age 24, including his younger sister. The Dayton victims were identified early Sunday morning.
Chief Biehl said the shooter, his sister Megan Betts, and two others arrived in the same vehicle in the Oregon entertainment district of Dayton. The 4 separated after they arrived. The shooting started around 1 a.m. Sunday morning outside of the bar Ned Peppers. Those shot were leaving the bar or standing in line waiting to enter.
Megan, age 22 and another of the passengers were among the first shot. The chief said the shooter used a long rifle with an attached double-drum magazine and a capacity of 100 rounds.
The attack lasted about a minute. Within that short time, the shooter killed 9. Dayton police who were working the district chased the shooter down and killed him. Chief Biehl said 27 were injured, wounded by gunfire or as they fled.
Police said they had met with the Betts Family hoping to find a motive, but none has been established.
Reports from the Dayton Dailey News included comments from people who knew Betts. A neighbor of the Betts’ family home in Bellbrook, OH says he often saw Connor Betts doing everyday activities – walking the dog and mowing the lawn. Stephen Cournoyer said Betts “seemed like a good kid,” but “obviously he had an issue.”
Brad Howard, a longtime classmate of Betts was shocked. “The Connor Betts that I knew was a nice kid.”
Other classmates painted a different picture, saying Connor Betts made a “hit list” of male students he wanted to kill and female students he would rape. He was removed from school but came back a year later.
President Donald Trump made a brief statement to the press about the shootings in El Paso and Dayton, attributing the mass shootings to “… mental illness. It shows these people are really, really mentally ill.” President Trump said he will make a full statement on the shootings Monday.
The El Paso shooter began his rampage in a WalMart parking lot, then entered the store aiming a barrage of shots at WalMart customers in the checkout line.
Authorities identified the gunman as Patrick Crusius, age 21, from a Dallas suburb. He was taken into custody after he surrendered to the police outside the Walmart. The authorities said they were investigating a manifesto Mr. Crusius, who is white, may have posted before the shooting, which described an attack in response to “the Hispanic invasion of Texas.”
Story Posted:08/04/2019
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