UPDATED 8/4/2019 7:59PM CT DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – The Latest on a deadly mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio (all times local):
8:45 p.m.
Nine white doves have been released at a vigil to honor the nine adults killed by a gunman in a popular entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio.
Hundreds of people, mostly young adults, gathered Sunday evening at the scene in Dayton’s Oregon District. They sang “Amazing Grace” and erupted in cheers at the mention of emergency responders who had rushed to the scene.
Cyndi Johnson, who lives nearby, says the Oregon District is an area people visit to celebrate bridal showers and 21st birthdays. She says it’s not scary, and she doesn’t want it known that way.
Police say the shooter, 24-year-old Connor Betts, opened fire in the area around 1 a.m. Sunday, killing his adult sister and eight others. Police say he was fatally shot by officers within 30 seconds.
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8:25 p.m.
The popular entertainment district where a gunman killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio, has been cleared of crime-scene tape and opened to a somber crowd attending a Sunday evening vigil.
Some people milling about brick streets in the Oregon District left flower bouquets in front of the bars. At one store, a few purple flowers were tucked into a bullet hole.
More holes were visible in the window at Ned Peppers Bar, where police killed the shooter just outside the doorstep to save those inside.
Police say 24-year-old Connor Betts opened fire in the area around 1 a.m. Sunday, killing his sister and eight other adults before he was fatally shot by officers within 30 seconds of the start of the rampage. Authorities say 27 others were injured.
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7:30 p.m.
The man who gunned down nine people in Dayton, Ohio, was known at a local bar as an ever-friendly, happy guy who sometimes came in for a beer or two and was never a troublemaker.
Fellow customer Mike Kern says he sometimes played trivia with the slain shooter, 24-year-old Connor Betts, at Romer’s Bar & Grill in Bellbrook, Betts’ hometown southeast of Dayton. Kern says Betts often knew answers about current events and pop culture and never discussed violence.
Kern describes Betts as “the nicest kid you could imagine.”
Bartender Andy Baker says Betts was at Romer’s last Monday and seemed fine. Baker says when he saw Betts identified as the shooter in the early Sunday massacre in a popular entertainment district, he thought: There’s no way that’s the guy.
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6:25 p.m.
The aunt of one of the nine people killed in a mass shooting in Dayton says her nephew known as T.J. was a “gentle giant.”
Donna Johnson tells the Dayton Daily News that Thomas McNichols was tall, well-loved and “like a big kid.”
She says McNichols used to take family members to the movies when big films hit theaters.
McNichols, a 25-year-old father of four, was living with Johnson in Dayton.
The outlet reports the two ate licorice together after he got off work at a factory Saturday before he and a cousin left to go to a popular entertainment district.
Police say the gunman killed his own sister and eight others in the area at about 1 a.m. Sunday.
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6 p.m.
A manager at Megan Betts’ former place of work says she never discussed her brother, Connor Betts, but seemed close with her mother.
Police say Megan and eight others were killed by her brother early Sunday morning at a Dayton entertainment district.
Daniel Cottrell, manager of the Smokejumper Visitor Center in Missoula, Montana, tells The Washington Post that Megan worked there this summer as a tour guide.
Cottrell says Megan worked there as an intern through a program run by the Student Conservation Association.
He described her as a “very positive person,” who was competent and well-liked by her peers. He says she also loved exploring new places, including the “local culture.”
He says Megan’s mother picked her up from Montana at the end of her internship.
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5:05 p.m.
The popular nightlife area where a gunman killed nine people and injured dozens of others has reopened to the public.
The Oregon District was reopened Sunday afternoon, hours after the second mass shooting in the U.S. within 24 hours.
Police say 24-year-old Connor Betts opened fire in the area around 1 a.m. Sunday, killing his sister and eight other people. Police fatally shot Betts within 30 seconds from the start of his rampage.
A motive has not been released.
A vigil is being held in the Oregon District at 8 p.m. Sunday to honor the victims, who range in age from 25 to 57.
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4:35 p.m.
Authorities say a shooter wearing a bulletproof vest, mask and hearing protection and carrying at least 100 rounds opened fire on the streets of a popular entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio.
Police Chief Richard Biehl says the shooter killed his sister and eight others in less than 30 seconds before police fatally shot him.
Biehl says he can’t yet answer why 24-year-old Connor Betts began shooting early Sunday in Dayton’s Oregon District.
Biehl says the .223-caliber rifle Betts used was ordered online from Texas and transferred to Betts at a firearms dealer in the area.
Officials say 27 more people were wounded, either by gunfire or as they fled.
It was the second U.S. mass shooting in less than 24 hours.
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4:05 p.m.
The shooter who police say opened fire in a popular entertainment district and killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio, is a 24-year-old man who went to high school and college in the area and worked at an eatery.
Investigators say police responded to the shooting scene early Sunday within a minute and killed Connor Betts, of Bellbrook. The nine victims included Betts’ younger sister, Becky.
His college and the restaurant where he worked say they’re providing law enforcement with any relevant information they have.
Sinclair Community College says Betts attended there and studied psychology but wasn’t enrolled this summer.
Chipotle confirmed he worked at one of its restaurants but released no other details.
Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local Schools also confirmed Betts graduated in 2013 but didn’t immediately release information about his records.
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3:45 p.m.
Ohio’s U.S. senators have visited Dayton, Ohio, after the mass shooting there and say the tragedy is a call to action.
Investigators say a 24-year-old white man wearing body armor opened fire in a popular entertainment district early Sunday. Authorities say he killed nine people, including his sister, before he was fatally shot by police.
Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown says responding with thoughts and prayers isn’t enough and stronger gun safety laws are needed.
Republican Sen. Rob Portman says he saw workers cleaning blood off the sidewalks when he visited the scene in Dayton’s Oregon District. He says it’s an unspeakable tragedy and the discussion needs to include not just policy changes, but issues such as mental health supports.
City officials say a fund to help victims has been set up through The Dayton Foundation.
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3:30 p.m.
One of the victims of the Ohio shooting was a mother of two who had a newborn daughter, a relative said.
Derasha Merrett told the Dayton Daily News that she was a cousin and friend to 27-year-old Lois Oglesby. Merrett says she was up feeding her own newborn early Sunday morning when she learned Oglesby died in the shooting at a popular nightlife area in Dayton.
She remembered Oglesby as a “wonderful mother, a wonderful person.”
Oglesby was among 9 victims and dozens injured in the Sunday morning, which came less than 24 hours after another mass shooting in the U.S.
Merrett says her cousin was in nursing school and looking forward to a career that would make the most of her love for children.
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3:10 p.m.
The president of a university in Pennsylvania says one of its students was among those killed in a shooting at a popular nightlife area in Dayton, Ohio.
A release from Father Malachi Van Tassell says Nicholas Cumer was a graduate student in the master of cancer care program at Saint Francis University. Van Tassell says Cumer had been in Dayton as part of an internship program.
He described Cumer as dedicated to caring for others. He says Cumer was among the students recognized for completing more than 100 hours of service. He also says Cumer was a graduate assistant with the university marching band.
He says a mass in Cumer’s memory will be arranged on campus this week.
A gunman early Sunday killed nine people before being slain by police.
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2:20 p.m.
Neighbors and classmates of the Dayton shooter were surprised that he was at the center of a mass shooting that killed nine people and injured dozens.
A neighbor whose property is near Connor Betts’ family home says he often saw the 24-year-old doing everyday activities like walking the dog or mowing the lawn. Stephen Cournoyer says Betts “seemed like a good kid,” but “obviously he had an issue.”
Brad Howard, a longtime classmate of Betts, was shocked. He says “the Connor Betts that I knew was a nice kid.”
Police identified Betts as the shooter and released the names of the nine victims that include his younger sister, Megan.
Betts was killed by police less than a minute after he started shooting a .223-caliber rifle into the streets of a popular Dayton nightlife area early Sunday morning.
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1:40 p.m.
Police say the 24-year-old white man behind a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, killed his sister and eight others before he was fatally shot by police.
Authorities say Connor Betts was killed by police less than a minute after he started shooting a .223-caliber rifle into the streets of a popular Dayton nightlife area around 1 a.m. Sunday.
They say his 22-year-old sister, Megan, was the youngest of the deceased victims, who were all killed in the same area. The others were adults ranging in age from 25 to 57.
Mayor Nan Whaley says Betts was wearing body armor and had additional high-capacity magazines.
Investigators haven’t publicly discussed a possible motive.
It was the second U.S. mass shooting in less than 24 hours.
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1:20 p.m.
President Donald Trump is ordering flags at half-staff in remembrance of the victims of two mass shootings in less than a day, which killed at least 29 people.
A proclamation released by the White House on Sunday says the nation shares “in the pain and suffering of all those who were injured in these two senseless attacks.”
The first attack Saturday at a shopping area in El Paso, Texas, killed at least 20 people. That was followed by another shooting in a nightlife district in Dayton, Ohio, which claimed nine lives.
Trump has been out of public view since both shootings. He has reacted to the attacks on Twitter.
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12:25 p.m.
A law enforcement official identified the shooter who killed nine people and injured dozens when he opened fire in a popular nightlife area of Dayton, Ohio, as Connor Betts.
The official says Betts was in his 20s.
The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Betts was killed by police less than a minute after he started shooting a .223-caliber rifle into the streets of the Oregon District around 1 a.m. Sunday.
Mayor Nan Whaley says the shooter was wearing body armor and had additional high-capacity magazines.
A motive has not been released.
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11:15 a.m.
Staff of a bar in downtown Dayton, Ohio, where a shooter opened fire outside killing nine say they are left “shaken.”
Ned Peppers posted Sunday on its Facebook page that it’s “confused” why this shooting occurred in their “safe entertainment district.”
Authorities say the shooter opened fire in the popular nightlife area called the Oregon District where Ned Peppers is located.
The post said that police regularly staffed there “engaged the shooter and neutralized the threat.”
Ned Peppers said the bar is assisting police in any way they can. The bar remains closed.
The bar also posted that a bouncer was being treated for shrapnel wounds.
A message seeking further comment was left with staff.
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10:30 a.m.
The mayor says at least 27 people have been treated for injuries after a shooter opened fire overnight in a popular nightlife area of Dayton, Ohio, and was quickly killed by police.
Authorities say nine people were killed, not including the shooter.
Local hospital representatives say the injuries included gunshot wounds and lacerations. They say at least 15 of the wounded have been released, and several people remain in serious or critical condition.
Mayor Nan Whaley says many more people might have been hurt if police patrolling the area hadn’t been able to respond in less than a minute to the shooting. Investigators haven’t named the shooter or shared any other information about a motive.
Whaley says a community vigil is planned Sunday evening.
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10:15 a.m.
Attorney General William Barr has briefed on the deadly shooting in Dayton, Ohio, and the Justice Department is providing federal resources.
That’s according to a tweet Sunday morning from department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec, who calls the shooting a “senseless, evil attack.”
A shooter wearing body armor and carrying extra magazines killed nine people early Sunday in a popular nightlife area of Dayton. It was the second U.S. mass shooting in less than 24 hours. The gunman was shot to death by officers who responded in less than a minute,
No motive has been revealed, nor has the identity of the shooter.
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10:10 a.m.
A witness is describing the chaos that unfolded on the streets during the shooting in Dayton, Ohio.
Anthony Reynolds says he and his friends were leaving a bar in the Oregon District around 1 a.m. Sunday when they heard the first gunshot.
He says the gunfire was “rapid” after that and “people were just falling.”
The 31-year-old Reynolds says he got a glimpse of the shooter, who he says was dressed in all black and carrying a large gun.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley says the shooter was wearing body armor and had extra magazines for his .223-caliber rifle.
Nine people were killed and dozens more were injured before police killed the shooter.
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9:20 a.m.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio says “thoughts and prayers are not enough” after a shooter killed nine people and wounded dozens more before he was killed by police in Dayton.
In a statement Sunday, Brown says he is angry that state and national lawmakers won’t pass more gun safety laws.
Several proposals have been introduced in the GOP-led Legislature this session that would tighten requirements on firearms sales, transfers and storage. A gun safety group is also pushing to change state law to require background checks on nearly all guns sales.
The Republican who leads the Ohio Senate also shared a statement praising the quick response from Dayton police.
This is the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours.
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8:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump is saying that federal law enforcement is working with local authorities to investigate a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio.
The shooting in Dayton early Sunday left at least nine dead and comes just hours after another mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, that killed at least 20.
Trump tweeted praise of law enforcement and said that “information is rapidly being accumulated in Dayton.”
In a second tweet , he wrote, “God bless the people of El Paso Texas. God bless the people of Dayton, Ohio.”
White House officials said Trump, who is spending the weekend at his New Jersey golf club, would be updated on both shootings throughout the day.
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7:30 a.m.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley says the gunman in a mass shooting that killed nine people in Ohio was wearing body armor and had extra magazines.
She says Dayton police officers patrolling the area fired on the shooter within a minute, killing him. She said “hundreds of people in the Oregon District could be dead today” if police hadn’t acted quickly.
The mayor said at a press conference Sunday morning that 26 people have been injured and are at local hospitals.
Officials say it’s too early to provide details on the suspect’s identity.
Whaley commended the “girt and resiliency of this community,” saying Dayton has been through a lot this year.
The mayor said she would provide frequent updates throughout the day with the next one scheduled for 10 a.m. EDT.
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7:15 a.m.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has issued a statement following a mass shooting in Dayton that killed nine people.
He says he’s ordered flags in Ohio to remain at half-mast in honor of those killed early Sunday morning in a popular nightlife district.
The statement says he’s offered Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley “any assistance on behalf of the state.” He commended first responders for their “bravery and quick response to save lives and bring an end to this tragedy.”
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7:10 a.m.
Two women who were in a bar across the street from the Dayton, Ohio, shooting say they are in shock.
Nikita Papillon says she heard the shooting and ran out of Newcom’s Tavern, where she saw bodies on the ground.
The 23-year-old says people her age “don’t think something like this is going to happen.”
Tianycia Leonard says she heard “loud thumps” she initially thought were people pounding on a dumpster. The 28-year-old says she then realized “it was gunshots and there was a lot of rounds.”
Police say at least nine people were killed and 16 others were injured in the shooting in a popular nightlife area. Authorities say the suspected shooter is also deceased.
This is the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours.
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6:30 a.m.
The mayor of Dayton, Ohio, has weighed in on a mass shooting that killed nine people and injured at least 16 others.
Mayor Nan Whaley tweeted that she was “heartbroken” around 6 a.m. Sunday, around five hours after the active shooter situation began in Dayton’s historic Oregon District.
She thanked first responders and said officials would share updates when they had more information.
Dayton police have yet to identify the suspected shooter, who was shot to death by responding officers.
According to the AP/USA Today/Northeastern University database, the Dayton shooting is the 22nd mass killing and sixth public mass shooting in the U.S. in 2019. It came just hours after 20 people were killed in an El Paso, Texas, shooting.
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5:45 a.m.
A police spokesman in Dayton, Ohio, says the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours took place in “a safe part of downtown.”
Speaking at a press conference Sunday, Lt. Col. Matt Carper said the suspect in the deaths of nine people was shot to death by responding officers in the Oregon District.
Police believe there was only one shooter. They haven’t yet identified the suspect or a motive. Carper said the suspect fired multiple rounds from a long gun.
At least 16 other people have been hospitalized with injuries from the early morning shooting.
No details about the victims have been released. A family assistance center has been set up at the Dayton Convention Center.
Sunday’s shooting came hours after 20 were killed in El Paso, Texas.
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4:35 a.m.
Police in Ohio say nine people have been killed in the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours.
Dayton police announced that the suspect in the early Sunday morning shooting is also deceased. At least 16 others have been taken to local hospitals with injuries.
Police say the active shooter situation began at 1 a.m. in the Oregon District, but that officers nearby were able to “put an end to it quickly.” The Oregon District is a historic neighborhood known for its entertainment offerings.
Further information, including the suspected shooter’s identity, has not been released.
The FBI is assisting with the investigation.
Sunday’s shooting came hours after 20 people were killed and more than two dozen injured in an El Paso, Texas, shooting.
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Per a police update, this story has been corrected to show the shooting began around 1 a.m., not 1:22 a.m.
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4:15 a.m.
Police in Ohio say they’re investigating a shooting in a historic neighborhood in Dayton known for its entertainment offerings.
The tweets from Dayton police early Sunday did not include further details, but described the Oregon District shooting as “a large scene and investigation.” Miami Valley Hospital spokeswoman Terrea Little said 16 victims have been received at the hospital, but she couldn’t confirm their conditions.
Police told The Associated Press that they did not have representatives available to speak to the media.
Video from the scene near downtown Dayton showed a host of emergency vehicles on a street that had been cordoned off.
Kettering Health Network spokeswoman Elizabeth Long said multiple victims from a shooting had been brought to system hospitals, but didn’t have details on how many.
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — The shooter who killed nine people and injured dozens when he opened fire early Sunday in a popular nightlife area of Dayton, Ohio, before being quickly killed by police was a man in his 20s named Connor Betts, a law enforcement official said.
Betts was killed by police less than a minute after he opened fire with a .223-caliber rifle in the streets of the Oregon District around 1 a.m. Sunday in the second U.S. mass shooting in less than 24 hours. Police haven’t released further information about Betts or publicly discussed a motive.
The official who identified the gunman spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity and was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said the shooter was wearing body armor and had additional high-capacity magazines. Had police not responded so quickly, “hundreds of people in the Oregon District could be dead today,” she said.
The historic neighborhood that police Lt. Col. Matt Carper described as “a safe part of downtown,” is home to bars, restaurants and theaters.
Whaley said at least 27 people were treated for injuries, and at least 15 of those have been released. Several more remain in serious or critical condition, local hospital officials said at a news conference.
They said some people suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and others were injured as they fled.
Nikita Papillon, 23, was across the street at Newcom’s Tavern when the shooting started. She said she saw a girl she had talked to earlier lying outside Ned Peppers Bar.
“She had told me she liked my outfit and thought I was cute, and I told her I liked her outfit and I thought she was cute,” Papillon said. She herself had been to Ned Peppers the night before, describing it as the kind of place “where you don’t have to worry about someone shooting up the place.”
“People my age, we don’t think something like this is going to happen,” she said. “And when it happens, words can’t describe it.”
Tianycia Leonard, 28, was in the back, smoking, at Newcom’s. She heard “loud thumps” that she initially thought was someone pounding on a dumpster.
“It was so noisy, but then you could tell it was gunshots and there was a lot of rounds,” Leonard said.
Staff of an Oregon District bar called Ned Peppers said in a Facebook post that they were left shaken and confused by the shooting. The bar said a bouncer was treated for shrapnel wounds.
A message seeking further comment was left with staff.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting and praised law enforcement’s speedy response in a tweet Sunday.
(Copyright 2019, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
