2019 — Aug 4, Mass shooting outside bar (9 deaths), police kill shooter, Dayton, OH — 10
–10 Blanchard tally of nine victims of the shooter and the shooter who was killed by the police.
— 9 CNN/Croft. “Shooter’s sister among 9 dead in Dayton, Ohio; 27 others injured.” 8-4-2019.
— 9 CNN (Ivana Kottasová). “Mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio. 8-4-2019.
Narrative Information
Aug 4: “(CNN) — The gunman’s sister was one of nine people killed in a shooting early Sunday in downtown Dayton, Ohio, police said. At least 27 others were injured when Connor Betts, 24, fired an assault rifle in a popular nightlife district about 1 a.m., authorities said.
“Betts fired for less than a minute from a “.223 high-capacity” gun, and he had additional magazines with him, Mayor Nan Whaley said. The .223 caliber is used in rifles like the AR-15 assault rifle used in previous mass shootings. Deb Decker, public information officer for Montgomery County, said the shooter used an assault rifle….[1]
“The Dayton shooting took place on East Fifth Street in the city’s Oregon District, Dayton Deputy Director and Assistant Chief of Police Lt. Col. Matt Carper said early Sunday morning…. Betts began shooting as he made his way toward a bar called Ned Peppers, Decker said. Carper said Betts fired multiple rounds from “a very large gun, in technical terms.” Someone from Ned Peppers grabbed the barrel of the rifle, and the shooter “picked up a handgun and was willing to continue shooting,” Decker said, when police arrived and killed the shooter. The shooter wore body armor, she said….”In less than one minute, Dayton first responders neutralized the shooter,” Whaley said. “I really want to — think about that minute. The shooter was able to kill nine people and injure 26 in less than a minute. And if we did not have police in the Oregon District and the thousands of people in the Oregon District enjoying their Saturday evening, what we could have had in this city,” she said….
“The gunman’s victims. The city identified the nine people killed in the shooting:
Lois L. Oglesby, 27 [Black][2]
Megan K. Betts, 22, the shooter’s sister [White]
Saeed Saleh, 38 [Black]
Derrick R. Fudge, 57 [Black]
Logan M. Turner, 30 [White]
Nicholas P. Cumer, 25 [White]
Thomas J. McNichols, 25 [Black]
Beatrice N. Warren-Curtis, 36 [Black]
Monica E. Brickhouse, 39. [Black]
Aug 5: “Dayton, Ohio (CNN) — The Ohio gunman who ripped apart nine families in almost an instant managed to fire 41 shots in less than 30 seconds, police said Monday [Aug 5]. He did so by wielding a .223-caliber high-capacity rifle with 100-round drum magazines. “It is fundamentally problematic,” Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl said. “To have that level of weaponry in a civilian environment, unregulated, is problematic.”
“Nearby patrol officers quickly gunned down suspect Connor Betts within 30 seconds after his first shot early Sunday morning, Biehl said….
“Surveillance video shows the shooter targeting people enjoying a Saturday night out in Dayton’s Oregon District. As gunshots rang out, people ran into nearby bars and clubs. Just before Betts was able to enter a nightclub, police gunned down the shooter. “The officers immediately advanced toward the gunfire and within approximately 20 seconds, they engaged the suspect, who was actively firing and attempting to enter a crowded liquor establishment,” Biehl said….
“Biehl said if all the magazines were full and at full capacity, the shooter may have had up to 250 rounds in his possession at the time….
“Nine states, plus the District of Columbia, ban large-capacity ammunition magazines. Ohio isn’t one of them. The nine states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Among the states that ban high-capacity magazines, some prohibit magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, and others ban magazines that hold more than 15 rounds….
“While the motive remains a mystery, more disturbing details about the shooter are emerging. Authorities searched the Betts’ family home in Bellbrook, a suburb southeast of Dayton, and uncovered writings that expressed an interest in killing people, two law enforcement sources told CNN. But the writings did not indicate any racial or political motive, sources said.
“Former schoolmates said they were on a “hit list” Betts created back in high school. One described Betts as “dark and depressive.” One former classmate, who was told by a school official that he was on the alleged hit list, said the list was separated into two columns: a ‘kill list’ for boys and a ‘rape list’ for girls.
“….Police did not detail the Betts siblings’ relationship. But they did say that the two arrived together but separated at some point. Biehl said the shooter killed his sister and wounded his male companion.
“Authorities said they don’t think the male companion, who had driven to the scene with the shooter and his sister, had advance knowledge of the attack, two law enforcement sources told CNN.” (CNN. “The Dayton gunman killed 9 people by firing 41 shots in 30 seconds. A high-capacity rifle helped enable that speed.” 8-5-2019.)
Aug 4: “….At a Sunday afternoon press conference, police said they are going looking for any indication of a motive. “There is far too much information to review” before that can be determined, Biehl said [Dayton Chief of Police]. During the execution of a search warrant, authorities found writings linked to Betts that show he had an interest in killing people, two federal law enforcement sources told CNN. A preliminary assessment of the writings did not indicate any racial or political motive, the sources said….
“The weapon used in the shooting was ordered online from Texas and transferred to the suspect at a local firearms dealer near Dayton, Biehl said….” (CNN. “What we know about the shooting in Dayton, Ohio.” 8-4-2019.)
Aug 5, WKRC-TV, Cincinnati: “DAYTON, Ohio (WKRC) During a news conference on Sunday, Dayton’s Police Chief Richard Biehl showed for the first time the weapon that Conner Betts used during his deadly rampage. In the photo, a clear stamp at the center of the gun reads that the section is an AM-15 made by Anderson Manufacturing in Hebron, Kentucky.
“Anderson Manufacturing operates a large facility near CVG Airport, where it makes and sells guns to licensed dealers and customers across the country. I found the co-owner of Anderson Manufacturing, Carl Anderson in the parking lot of the facility, who told me his company made only a portion of the gun that Betts used. “It’s just the lower receiver,” Anderson told me, describing the lower receiver as the key part of the body of the gun, where the ammunition magazine attaches. But Anderson says his company didn’t make, nor assemble the rest of the gun Betts used. “We make whole guns, but that was sent out as a lower receiver,” Anderson told me, referring to the main section that was on full display in Dayton. According to Anderson, the rest of the gun parts were assembled somewhere else. “And then somebody made it in to a whole gun,” Anderson stated, adding, “The ATF is tracking all that down….” (WKRC-TV Local 12/Duane Pohlman, Cincinnati, OH. “Key section of weapon used in Dayton mass shooting manufactured in Tri-State.” 8-5-2019.)
Aug 5, Cincinnati Enquirer: “Even though it looked like a rifle, the gun used to kill nine people and wound at least 14 more was likely classified as a pistol, skirting around laws restricting short-barreled rifles. Will the device on Connor Betts’ weapon, called a “pistol brace,” become the next bump stock in nation’s gun control debate? Here’s what we know about the AR-15 style .223 caliber firearm used in the Dayton shooting Sunday:
- It was legally purchased by Betts’ from an online retailer in Texas. It then was transferred to him by a local firearms dealer who would be required to perform a background check, police said.
- Nothing on Betts’ criminal record would have prevented him from buying a gun.
- He used legal-to-own 100-round drum magazines.
- The lower receiver, which houses the trigger, was made by Anderson Manufacturing in Hebron, Kentucky. Under federal law, the lower receiver is the gun. Purchasing a lower receiver requires a background check. All other parts of guns, such as barrels and stocks, can be bought legally off the shelf or online.
- Betts could have had as many as 250 rounds in his possession; he fired at least 41 rounds in about 30 seconds.
“On Monday, Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl said Betts’ gun was “modified in essence to function like a rifle” and “to avoid any legal prohibitions.” He did not specifically cite a pistol brace, but photos of the weapon released by police show one.
“The federal restrictions on short-barreled rifles were enacted to stop people from making rifles, guns fired from the shoulder, more concealable. Rifles typically can fire more powerful cartridges than pistols and shoulder stocks allow the rifles to be fired more accurately.
“It is illegal to own a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches without paying $200 for a National Firearms Act tax stamp and completing all the related paperwork and background checks. The process is similar to legally owning a fully-automatic rifle. It is unclear if Betts’ went through this process, but the firearm he used did have a barrel shorter than 16 inches.
“AR-15 style firearms can be rifles or pistols. A pistol can have a short barrel, but no shoulder stock. A rifle can have a shoulder stock, but the barrel must be 16 inches or longer. Enter the pistol brace, also known as a stabilizing brace. For all practical purposes, this device allows pistols with short barrels to have something resembling a shoulder stock.”
“Companies began marketing pistol braces in the early 2010s after getting approval letters from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The braces are designed to be strapped to the arm, allowing AR-15 style pistols to be more easily fired with one hand.
“Many of these devices closely resemble shoulder stocks and can be used in that fashion, which raises another question for the ATF. If you put a pistol brace to your shoulder, does that turn your gun into something illegal? The ATF has gone back and forth on its answer. The agency has issued several open letters, which are not law but indications of how the agency plans to interpret the law. In 2012, the ATF issued a letter saying braces could be attached to a pistol without turning the weapon into a short-barreled rifle. In 2015, the agency said firing a pistol from the shoulder with a brace would not constitute a “redesign” and would require all the necessary paperwork and taxes.
“When brace manufacturers sought more clarification, the ATF again appeared to change its stance in 2017. The ATF said “incidental, sporadic, or situation ‘use’ of an arm-brace” from the shoulder did not constitute a redesign, but taking “affirmative steps to configure the device” as a shoulder stock would, such as removing straps intended to wrap around the arm.
“Dean Rieck, the executive director of the Buckeye Firearm Association, said trying to ban firearm components will not prevent the next mass shooting. “After every shooting, we see the same pattern,” Rieck said. “People have certain pet laws they want to see passed. You’ll probably see various laws proposed.” In terms of pistol braces, Rieck said: “Things like that don’t really make a difference. If your purpose is to harm people, that configuration is not ideal anyway.”
“After the Las Vegas mass shooting, Cincinnati and Columbus attempted to ban bump stocks, which can increase the rate of fire of a rifle. Rieck’s association successfully blocked the bans by invoking Ohio’s preemption rule, which stops cities from overriding state gun laws….” (Cincinnati Enquirer/Cameron Knight. “Dayton shooter used a gun that may have exploited an ATF loophole.” 8-5-2019.)
Aug 5, NYT: “In Texas and Ohio, it’s legal to buy military-style firearms, use them with large-capacity magazines and carry them in public with a permit.
“Gun laws vary from state to state, but more often than not, states do not restrict the type of military-style weapons and large-capacity magazines that were used in two mass shootings over the weekend.
“In Ohio and Texas, there is no ban on the type of military-style rifles that are often used in mass shootings. These types of semi-automatic weapons let gunmen fire rapidly, as quickly as they can pull the trigger, allowing an active shooter to kill a lot of people quickly.
“‘A normal individual seeing that type of weapon might be alarmed, but technically it was in the realm of the law,” Greg Allen, the El Paso police chief, told reporters.
“Only six states and the District of Columbia have enacted bans on military-style weapons. Many cities, including Dayton, ban these types of weapons.
“The Dayton gunman bought his AR-style weapon online and had it shipped from Texas to a gun store in Ohio, where he picked it up, according to the Dayton Police Department. The weapon was modified with a brace to improve stability, which means that it functioned identically to a short-barreled AR-style rifle. The modification was legal, according to the Police Department.
“Mass shooters have also circumvented state law by traveling to neighboring states with fewer gun restrictions to purchase weapons, or by making small modifications to other legal weapons.
“In both states [OH and TX], large-capacity magazines are allowed. Both gunmen appeared to use magazines that can hold at least 30 rounds of ammunition, the standard capacity for assault rifles used by military personnel as well as many semi-automatic military-style rifles used by civilians. These magazines allow for shooters to fire a large number of bullets without having to reload. ‘This type of high-volume fire is really originally contemplated for a battlefield,’ said Laura Cutilletta, managing director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. ‘They can kill huge numbers of people in such a short time.’ In states like Texas and Ohio, these weapons can be legally configured to quickly swap out magazines — allowing someone to continue firing another 30 (or 100) rounds in short order.
“Only eight states and the District of Columbia have laws that restrict the capacity of magazines, most limiting them to 10 to 15 rounds, depending on the state….
“After the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., in 2018, the number of new state gun laws rose sharply, including new restrictions on concealed-carry and magazine capacity. But even if you live in a state with strict gun laws, the current patchwork of state regulations means that military-style weapons with large-capacity magazines can still be purchased in a neighboring state.” (New York Times (Larry Buchanan and K.K. Rebecca Lai). “How State Laws Allowed Military-Style Guns Used in Dayton and El Paso Shootings.” 8-5-2019.)
Sources
Cincinnati Enquirer (Cameron Knight). “Dayton shooter used a gun that may have exploited an ATF loophole.” 8-5-2019. Accessed 8-6-2019 at: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/crime-and-courts/2019/08/05/dayton-shooter-used-gun-may-have-exploited-atf-loophole/1920506001/
CNN (Ivana Kottasová). “Mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio. 8-4-2019. Accessed 8-4-2019 at: https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/ohio-shooting/index.html
CNN (Jay Croft). “Shooter’s sister among 9 dead in Dayton, Ohio; 27 others injured.” 8-4-2019. Accessed 8-4-2019 at: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/04/us/dayton-ohio-active-shooter/index.html
CNN Holly Yan, Chuck Johnston and Polo Sandoval). “The Dayton gunman killed 9 people by firing 41 shots in 30 seconds. A high-capacity rifle helped enable that speed.” 8-5-2019. Accessed 8-5-2019 at: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/05/us/dayton-monday-shooter-stopped-in-seconds/index.html
CNN (Sarah Aarthun and Emanuella Grinberg). “What we know about the shooting in Dayton, Ohio.” 8-4-2019. Accessed 8-6-2019 at: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/04/us/dayton-ohio-shooting-what-we-know/index.html
Daytonohio.gov. “City of Dayton Releases List of Victims from Oregon Shooting.” 8-4-2019. Accessed 8-4-2019 at: https://www.daytonohio.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=332
National Public Radio. “‘Do Something!’: Calls For Action After Mass Shootings in El Paso And Dayton.” 8-5-2019. Accessed 8-6-2019 at: https://www.npr.org/2019/08/05/748239149/do-something-calls-ring-out-after-mass-shootings-in-el-paso-and-dayton
New York Times (Larry Buchanan and K.K. Rebecca Lai). “How State Laws Allowed Military-Style Guns Used in Dayton and El Paso Shootings.” 8-5-2019. Accessed 8-6-2019 at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/05/us/gun-laws-el-paso-dayton-shootings.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes
Wall Street Journal/Ben Kesling and Zusha Elinson. “Dayton Shooter Used AR-15 Pistol, Smaller Version of Popular Rifle. This appears to be first time the gun has been used in a mass shooting, according to law enforcement.” 8-5-2019. Accessed 8-6-2019 at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/dayton-shooter-used-ar-15-pistol-smaller-version-of-popular-rifle-11565045046
WKRC-TV Local 12 (Duane Pohlman), Cincinnati, OH. “Key section of weapon used in Dayton mass shooting manufactured in Tri-State.” 8-5-2019. Accessed 8-6-2019 at: https://local12.com/news/duane-is-that-right/key-section-of-weapon-used-in-dayton-mass-shooting-manufactured-in-tri-state
[1] A Wall Street Journal article writes that Betts used an “AR-15 style pistol…a smaller variation on the popular gun that has been used in many of the deadliest mass shooting. The pistol…has a shorter barrel than an AR-style rifle, but it fires the same types of bullets and uses the same magazines.” (Wall Street Journal/Ben Kesling and Zusha Elinson. “Dayton Shooter Used AR-15 Pistol, Smaller Version of Popular Rifle.” 8-5-2019.)
[2] Racial identification from: Daytonohio.gov. “City of Dayton Releases List of Victims from Oregon Shooting.” 8-4-2019.