2019 Dayton Shooting

Overview

2019 Dayton Shooting is a shooting that occurred near the entrance of Ned Peppers Bar in Dayton, Ohio, on August 4, 2019. 10 people, including the shooter, were killed in the attack, and at least 27 were injured. The shooting took place within 13 hours of another deadly shooting in El Paso, Texas, which took lives of 22.

Background

At 1:05 a.m. EST on August 4th, 2019, 24-year-old Connor Stephen Betts opened fire from an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle at the entrance of Ned Peppers Bar in the downtown Oregon Historic District of Dayton after being denied entry.^[1] The shooter fired at the crowds of people in the street, killing nine people.

Twenty seconds later, police officers present in the area engaged Betts, killing him within 30 seconds after the shooting started.

Developments

On August 4th, the shooter was identified as a 24-year-old Bellbrook, Ohio, resident Connor Stephen Betts.^[1] The shooter wore a mask, bulletproof vest and hearing protection and used a .223 caliber high-capacity rifle with 100-round drum magazines. In the hours following the shooting, the police released a recording of a 911 call from the crime scene, as well as surveillance camera recordings.

#BREAKING: Video captures heavy gunfire from an active shooter situation at a crowded bar in Dayton, Ohio. Multiple fatalities and injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/WdgtTUfg3C

— UA News (@UrgentAlertNews) August 4, 2019

As of 5 pm, EST, August 5th, 2019, potential motives of the shooter have not been named. On his Twitter account @iamthespookster,^[11] Betts described himself as a leftist, an anime fan and a metalhead.^[2] Betts made several tweets expressing his support for 2020 presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. Additionally, on his Twitter account, Betts made several favorable references to Satan, including an October 14th, 2014, tweet "HAIL SATAN ETERNAL."^[3]

One of the victims has been identified as Betts' sister, Megan Betts. The siblings arrived at the scene of the attack together with another male acquaintance but separated before Connor Betts opened fire.

Online Reactions

Following the attack, Ned Peppers Bar posted messages on its website and social media, expressing condolences to the families of those killed and injured.^[4][5]

First and foremost our thoughts are with the victims of this tragedy. We are shaken and confused as to why this occurred in our safe entertainment district located in downtown Dayton.

On August 4th, President Donald Trump made a number of tweets about the shooting, speaking about an immigration reform and the mass media (tweets shown below).^[6][7][8]

On August 5th, during a televised speech, President Donald Trump misidentified the city of the attack as Toledo rather than Dayton.^[9] The gaffe was covered by multiple news sources and became a subject of discussions on Twitter and other social media.

May God bless the memories of those who perished in Toledo.

Also during the speech, Donald Trump called for putting an end to the "glorification of violence in our society," including "gruesome and grisly video games."^[10]

It is too easy today for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence. We must stop or substantially reduce this, and it has to begin immediately.

Search Interest

External References