Live Updates
Our live coverage of the shooting has moved here. You can also read more on what we know so far here.
President Donald Trump has proposed tying legislation strengthening background checks on firearm sales to immigration reform.
In a tweet on Monday, Trump said: “We cannot let those killed in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, die in vain.”
“Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks, perhaps marrying this legislation with desperately needed immigration reform,” Trump continued. “We must have something good, if not GREAT, come out of these two tragic events!”
It wasn’t immediately clear which specific pieces of legislation Trump was advocating in his messages.
Trump is due to speak from the White House at 10 a.m. ET.
The college attended by Connor Betts, the suspected Dayton killer, said in a statement that it lost two alums in the deadly shooting on Sunday.
Logan Turner, 30, and Lois Oglesby, 27, both attended the Sinclair Community College in Dayton in the past. Both were killed on Sunday.
“We are deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy that struck our community this weekend,” Steve Johnson said in a statement.
“Logan Turner and Lois Oglesby were former Sinclair students but all those taken from us in the Oregon District were members of the community that Sinclair serves and calls home. We grieve for all those impacted by this senseless act of violence.”
The community college said in a statement earlier that Betts was “previously enrolled” as a student but wasn’t attending any classes this summer.
One of the nine victims of the Dayton shooting was Nicholas Cumer, who was in Dayton as part of his internship program with the Maple Tree Cancer Alliance.
Cumer was one week away from completing his internship before graduating from St Francis University in Pennsylvania with a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, according to Maple Tree.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the alliance said Cumer was offered a full time position last week. It added:
Maple Tree Cancer Alliance said three of its trainers were shot in the incident. The other two unnamed victims are expected to make a full recovery.
Here is an update on Sunday’s deadly shooting in Dayton, Ohio.
We know it can happen anywhere because mass shootings happen everywhere: in California, Texas, Ohio and Illinois in recent days at a festival, a Walmart, a nightlife district and a playground.
The cumulative effect of all this mass violence playing on a recurring loop is that Americans hearts break for men, women and children cut down by bullets for no reason, but the country – permanently in shock – clearly cannot act to change anything.
Read the full analysis here.
Surveillance video shows the chaos unfold in Dayton, Ohio, as a shooter targets people out on a Saturday night in the Oregon District.
As gunshots ring out, people start to run, ducking into bars and clubs.
Within seconds, the shooter is brought to his knees by police right before he’s able to enter a nightclub that is full of people fleeing from his rampage.
Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl says his officers heard the gunshots, saw people fleeing and immediately ran toward danger.
“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,” the police chief said.
The suspected shooter, identified as Connor Betts, was able to fire dozens of shots with a .223-caliber high capacity rifle with 100-round drum magazines, Biehl said during a press conference.
Nine people died and 27 others were injured in the shooting.
Read more on this here.
As a high school student, the suspected gunman in the Dayton, Ohio, massacre had a “hit list” of classmates he wanted to kill or hurt, according to four former students who said they were told by school officials they were on the list.
Spencer Brickler said a counselor at Bellbrook High School told him that he and his sister were on Connor Betts’ hit list. Brickler said he was riding on a school bus when he saw Betts getting escorted off by officers who were investigating the threats.
“He was kind of dark and depressive in high school,” said Brickler, who recalled the incident occurring about nine years ago when he was a freshman. He said he had no idea what prompted Betts, then a sophomore, to put him or his sister on the list.
Another former classmate, who asked not to be identified out of concerns for his privacy, also recalled being summoned to a school administrator’s office and being told he was “number one” on the list of students Betts wanted to kill.
Read more here.
Megan Betts, the sister of suspected gunman Connor Betts, was one of nine people killed in the shooting in downtown Dayton early Sunday night. Wright State University confirmed she was a student and expressed condolences in a statement.
The school also identified victim Logan Turner as a former student who attended WSU as recently as 2011 and ultimately graduated from the University of Toledo.
We have been made aware and are devastated at the tragic loss of two of our dear Wright State family members. In addition, we can also confirm that several other members of our Wright State community have also been seriously impacted by last night’s events in Dayton’s Oregon District.
As we navigate this tragic event, we will have counseling services available for students on campus:
Students can seek confidential support services through Counseling and Wellness Services at 053 Student Union or by calling 937-775-3407. Also available is our Raider Cares Phone Service/Crisis Text Line. Raider Cares is Counseling and Wellness Services’ 24-hour crisis phone service. You can reach the Raider Cares Line by calling 833-848-1765 (TTY: 314-485-4345). Additionally, you also have access to a Crisis Text Line that offers 24-hour, seven-day per week text contact with trained crisis counselors. You can reach them by texting “LISTEN” to 741-741 The Crisis Text Line is NOT affiliated with Counseling and Wellness Services or Wright State.
Shooting suspect Connor Betts was “previously enrolled” as a student at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio, but he was not actively enrolled in the summer term, the school said in a statement.
Our hearts are broken for so many members of this wonderful community this weekend. A senseless tragedy occurred in our community and our thoughts are and will remain with the victims and their friends and families,
We are actively working with law enforcement to provide any and all information we may have to assist them in the response to this horrific act. We will respond in a timely manner to inquiries on this matter. As our community comes together in responding to this tragedy, each of us must play a part and we stand ready to do ours.”
– Dr. Steve Johnson, President of Sinclair College
Hecklers interrupted Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine as he spoke at a candlelight vigil Sunday for victims and survivors of the shooting in Dayton.
“Do something, do something!” the crowd chanted as DeWine shared his experience dealing with the death of his daughter 26 years ago.
The massacre – which came less than a day after another mass shooting in El Paso left 20 dead – reignited the debate over gun control and whether laws restricting access could have prevented the tragedies.
As the chants continued, DeWine wrapped up his remarks quickly.
Nicholas Cumer, 25, was killed one of nine people killed in a mass shooting in a popular neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio, early Sunday
Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, identified Cumer as one of its students.
The school released this statement:
It is with a heavy heart that I share news that one of our students was among the casualties of the mass shooting that occurred today in Dayton, Ohio.
Nicholas Cumer was a graduate student in the Master of Cancer Care program and had completed his undergraduate work with us as an Exercise Physiology major. He had been in Dayton as part of his internship program with the Maple Tree Cancer Alliance.
Nicholas was dedicated to caring for others. He was recognized at the 2019 Community Engagement Awards among students who had completed 100+ hours of service. In addition he was a graduate assistant with the university marching band.
We join the nation in mourning Nicholas, along side all of the victims of this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and friends during this most difficult time. A Mass in Nicholas’ memory will be arranged on campus this week, and we will share other arrangements as we learn of them.
Read more about the victims here.
Community members in Dayton, Ohio, gathered Sunday night near the site of the shooting for a vigil.
Ten doves were released above the crowd at the start of the ceremony.
The first dove represented survivors of the shooting. The next nine represented the nine people killed in the massacre.
Read more about the victims here.
Dayton’s Fifth Street reopened Sunday afternoon, according to CNN affiliate WPXI, hours after police killed the gunman who opened fire in the popular nightlife district.
A vigil will be held in the neighborhood at 8 p.m.
Damon Davenport Jr. told CNN’s Ryan Young on Sunday that he lost two cousins in the shooting.
He was especially close with Thomas McNichols, whom he called a “gentle giant.” McNichols and his other cousin, whom he referred to as “Lola,” left behind children, he said.
“All they were doing was enjoying a night on the town, and they’re dead. Never to come home again, never to see their family again. They’re gone,” Davenport said.
Mass shootings won’t stop unless “we change as a people,” he added.
“Thoughts and prayers? They’re OK. But that’s not gonna take the pain away from me losing my first cousin.”
A second mass shooting in the United States in 13 hours occurred early Sunday in the busy Dayton, Ohio, nightlife area known as the Oregon District.
Nine people are dead and 26 wounded. The shooter is also dead. Police identified him as 24-year old Connor Betts.
FBI and local law enforcement authorities have served a search warrant at the shooter’s family home in Bellbrook, Ohio, southeast of Dayton.
The victims:
Police response:
The weapon:
Gun was ordered online
Motive not known
Asked what he was going to do to address gun violence, President Trump told reporters Sunday that “a lot of things are in the works” and claimed his administration has done “much more than most administrations.”
Trump oversaw a ban on so-called bump stocks but has not pursued large-scale gun control efforts. His predecessor, Barack Obama, took dozens of executive actions on gun control, including on background checks and mental health.
Trump touted his administration’s work on the issue, saying, “We’ve done actually a lot but perhaps more has to be done.”
Trump also said this is a “mental illness” problem.
Trump ignored other questions on the topic, including one on white nationalism.
Dayton police showed a photo and provided detail on the gun the suspect used in the attack.
Police Chief Richard Biehl told the media the weapon has a “double drum magazine” which has a capacity of up to 100 rounds.
Biehl said the gun was purchased legally. He said the gun was ordered online from Texas, then transferred to the suspect at a local firearms dealer in Ohio.
Biehl added that police weren’t aware of anything “in this individual’s history or record that would have precluded him from purchasing that weapon.”
Asked by reporters about the legality of the large magazine, Biehl said there is “no indication that that is illegal at this time.”
Biehl said the suspect fired “dozens” of shots during the shooting.
Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl provided media with an update Sunday afternoon on the law enforcement investigation into the shooting.
Biehl said that at 1:05 a.m. Sunday, officers patrolling heard gunfire and responded to a shooting incident in the Oregon district.
Biehl said within 20 seconds of hearing gunfire, police officers engaged with the suspect. He said the threat was neutralized within 30 seconds of the suspect beginning to fire shots.
Biehl said six officers were involved in engaging the shooter – five officers and one sergeant. He said per standard department protocol, those officers will be placed on administrative leave
Biehl said the suspect, Connor Betts, had a minimal history with law enforcement. He had traffic violations for speeding, failure to control and failure to yield.
Biehl released a 911 radio call and multiple surveillance videos from the time of the incident. In one video, Biehl said, an officer can be seen shooting the suspect as he tries to enter the Ned Peppers bar.
The police chief said stopping the suspect before entering the bar was “essential” and prevented further “catastrophic injury and loss of life.”
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said she’s received an outpouring of support Sunday from all across the US.
Whaley said she’s heard from over 70 other mayors – including Buddy Dyer, mayor of Orlando, where 49 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in 2016.
Whaley said she’s also heard from Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto. That city suffered a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in October 2018.
Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio praised law enforcement’s quick response to the shooting. Police killed the gunman less than a minute after he opened fire.
“This courage was extraordinary, and saved lives – probably hundreds of lives,” Portman said.
“I’m impressed with how this community comes together and responds.”
The college attended by shooting suspect Connor Betts says it’s working with law enforcement to “provide any and all information we may have to assist them in the response to this horrific act.”
Sinclair Community College in Dayton said in a statement that Betts was “previously enrolled” as a student but wasn’t attending any classes this summer.
Here’s the full statement from Dr. Steve Johnson, President of Sinclair Community College:
“Our hearts are broken for so many members of this wonderful community this weekend. A senseless tragedy occurred in our community and our thoughts are and will remain with the victims and their friends and families. We have learned that the person who is suspected of perpetrating this heinous crime was previously enrolled as a Sinclair student though was not actively enrolled this summer term. We are actively working with law enforcement to provide any and all information we may have to assist them in the response to this horrific act. We will respond in a timely manner to inquiries on this matter. As our community comes together in responding to this tragedy, each of us must play a part and we stand ready to do ours.”
Authorities have found writings linked to Dayton, Ohio, shooting suspect Connor Betts that show he had an interest in killing people, two federal law enforcement sources told CNN. A preliminary assessment of the writings, found during the execution of a search warrant, did not indicate any racial or political motive, the sources said.
At an afternoon press conference, police said they are looking for any indication of motives.
“We’re always looking at what could have motivated such a horrific action as this, and like I said this morning, we’re interviewing dozens of people and going through a lot of different electronic evidence, other evidence to try to determine that. We don’t have that answer yet,” Lt. Col. Matt Carper, Dayton Deputy Chief of Police said. “But speculating at this point would be premature.”
The City of Dayton has released the names of the nine deceased victims in the shooting early Sunday. Suspect Connor Betts’ sister was identified as one of those killed.
Here are their names:
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said at a Sunday afternoon press conference that “all the victims are from our own backyard.”
DeWine added, “this is just an immense tragedy. No matter where the victims are from, they’re victims. Our hearts go out to the families. This is a Miami Valley tragedy.”
Dayton Police Deputy Chief Matt Carper confirmed that Connor Betts is the shooter and that his sister Megan Betts, 22, was one of those killed.
Speaking at a press conference, Carper identified the nine slain victims, who ranged in age from 22 to 57. He said all families have been notified.
Carper said all nine of the victims were found in the same location.
President Trump condemned the shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, as “hateful and cowardly acts” in a proclamation released by the White House.
Trump has ordered the flags at the White House, all public government buildings and facilities abroad to be lowered to half staff until sunset on August 8
.
The gunman in the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, has been identified as Connor Betts, 24, according to local and federal law enforcement sources.
FBI and local law enforcement authorities have served a search warrant at the shooter’s family home in Bellbrook.
Bellbrook, Ohio, Police Chief Doug Doherty tells CNN affiliate WKEF that they are serving a search warrant at a home in connection with the overnight shooting in Dayton. WKEF said the FBI is there as well.
According to WKEF, it is unclear what evidence is being collected, but Chief Doherty said the search is to “obtain information tied to the shooting in Dayton.”
Chief Doherty said his office was contacted around 4 a.m. in regard to the search warrant, WKEF reported.
Ned Peppers, the Dayton bar near where the shooting occurred, posted a statement Sunday on Facebook.
“Dayton Police could not have done a better job responding to this senseless act of violence. We cannot commend them high enough,” they wrote.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said earlier that none of the shooting occurred inside the bar, all the shootings occurred outside.
Here is the full statement from Ned Peppers:
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. We are following along with you of the news coverage from WHIO, the shooter started down the road and made his way towards our business. We have police regularly staffed next to our business who engaged the shooter and neutralized the threat. Dayton Police could not have done a better job responding to this senseless act of violence. We cannot commend them high enough. We are assisting them still in every way we can in their investigation. Clothing items left here have been placed in the rear of our building although the area is still closed until further notice. We do not know at this time when the area or our business will open.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley gave an update Sunday morning on the details surrounding the shooting.
Whaley said nine people have been killed Twenty-seven people have been treated for injuries and 15 have been discharged following the overnight shooting. The suspect in the shooting is also dead.
Whaley commended law enforcement who responded in “less than one minute” and “neutralized” the shooter.
Officials from local hospitals also spoke at the press conference and provided an update on the victims.
Miami Valley Hospital, which is near the scene of the shooting, received a total of 16 patients across their health system, Dr. Randy Marriott said.
Marriott, who has been with the hospital for over 25 years, said his team got “nearly no notice” as patients started to pour in.
Most of those admitted were treated for gunshot wounds, but some people also suffered other injuries, including cuts, while trying to flee the scene of the shooting.
Most people arrived via ambulance or in the back of a police car, but several others trickled in on foot or in personal vehicles a little later in the night, Marriott said.
Whaley said they are planning a vigil for 8 p.m. ET tonight. Location and details will be announced later today.
The Oregon District, where the shooting occurred, will be open this afternoon, Whaley said. It’s up to the businesses if they want to open, Whaley added, but the street will be open.
The shooter who killed nine people in Dayton was “a young white male,” according to Senator Sherrod Brown.
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Brown said he spoke to Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley early on Sunday.
“The mayor said it was – a young white male. I believe she may have said his age, I believe early 20s but I don’t know for sure. He came not from the city of Dayton, he came from a town in Montgomery County nearby, that is the county Dayton is in and that is all that I know,” Brown said.
Authorities in Dayton have not given any information on the suspect.
Brown said he will travel to Dayton, OH later today.
Two mass shootings within less than 13 hours of each other left 29 people dead and dozens more injured in Ohio and Texas.
In El Paso, 20 people were killed and 26 injured when a gunman, identified by three sources as Patrick Crusius, a 21-year-old white man from Allen, Texas, began shooting just after 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Nine people were killed and at least 26 injured Sunday in a shooting in a popular nightclub district of downtown Dayton, Ohio, police say.
See photos from the two cities here.
Graham Hunter, 24, of Dayton said he and four friends arrived just as the incident was over and immediately came upon the body of the shooter outside.
“Everyone was panicking and running around,” Hunter said. “After the shooter was dead, everyone was just crying and stuff,” and he saw “bodies all over the place.”
A police officer told him and his friends to go into Ned Peppers.
He said he and his friends consider the area a safe, fun place to hang out on weekends, where many people walk around outdoors and meet on patios at restaurants and bars.
“It’s a nice spot,” he said. “It’s where everyone goes to hang out.”
Izack Johnson was in the Oregon District in downtown Dayton when the shooting started in the early hours of Sunday.
He recorded a video in which gunfire can be heard. It is unclear whether the audible shots were fired by police or the shooter.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting in Dayton, Ohio and is monitoring the situation, Deputy Press Secretary Steven Groves said.
In a series of tweets on Sunday morning, Trump said “information is rapidly being accumulated in Dayton.”
“God bless the people of El Paso Texas. God bless the people of Dayton, Ohio,” he said in another tweet.
The shooting happened outside the Ned Peppers bar in the Oregon District, a busy neighborhood full of bars and restaurants in the historical center of Dayton.
Police said that “thousands of people” would be in the area on a summer Saturday night.
Dayton mayor Nan Whaley suggested the death toll would have been much higher if the police weren’t in the district at the time.
“The officers were there less than a minute from the beginning of the shooting. The shooter was able to kill nine people and injure 26 in less than a minute,” mayor Nan Whaley said during a news conference.
“If we did not have police in the Oregon District … what we could have had in this city …,” she added.
Nine people were killed and 26 injured after a shooter opened fire in a busy area in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio.
Here is what we know:
Dayton mayor Nan Whaley praised the city’s first responders for reacting quickly as the shooting unfolded.
Whaley said thousands of people would have been in the area on a Saturday night in summer.
The shooter in Dayton was wearing body armor and used a “.223 high-capacity” gun and had additional magazines with him, Dayton mayor Nan Whaley said in a news conference.
“In less than one minute, Dayton first responders neutralized the shooter,” Whaley said.
Lieutenant Colonel Matt Carper of the Dayton Police specified the shooter was killed in less than a minute after the shooting started. He said officers were very close when the shooter opened fire.
Speaking about a possible motive of the shooter, Whaley said: “We don’t know the thoughts of the shooter at this time.”
Carper said it appeared there was only one shooter.
Dayton Police Department has established a family assistance center at the Dayton Convention Center.
Pope Francis offered his condolences Sunday to the victims of the multiple mass shootings in the US.
At the Angelus noon prayer in Italy, Francis said the attacks affected “defenseless people,” and also extended his “spiritual closeness,” to the victims of the California attack that happened earlier this week.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has ordered flags in the state to be lowered “in honor and memory of the victims who lost their lives this morning.”
DeWine said in a statement:
The governor added: “I commend Dayton Police and other first responders for their bravery and quick response to save lives and bring an end to this tragedy.”
DeWine said he had been briefed on the incident in Dayton by the Ohio Department of Public Safety. He said the Ohio State Highway Patrol has offered assistance to local law enforcement as they investigate the shooting.
Dayton mayor Nan Whaley will hold a news conference at 7 a.m. ET, according to Dayton Police department.
Whaley will talk to reporters at the Dayton Convention Center, where the local authorities set up a family assistance center for people concerned about their loved ones.
Dayton mayor Nan Whaley said he was “heartbroken” over the deadly shooting in her city.
Posting on her Twitter account, Whaley thanked the first responders and said the authorities would share updates once they have more information.
The suspect in the killing of nine people and injuring at least 16 others in a popular downtown area in Dayton, Ohio wore body armor, according to Deb Decker, Montgomery County Emergency Services public information officer.
Decker said the shooting happened after 1 a.m. ET as the suspect was making his way toward a bar called Ned Peppers.
The motive for the shooting is still unknown, Decker said.
The shooter who killed nine people in the Oregon District in Dayton early on Sunday has been shot dead by responding police officers, Dayton Police Department’s Assistant Police Chief Matt Carper said in a news conference.
Carper added that the police is now working on identifying the shooter and a motive.
Dayton Police Department’s Assistant Police Chief Matt Carper said nine people were killed in the shooting incident in downtown Dayton.
The shooting incident in Dayton, Ohio happened 13 hours after a shooting that left 20 dead in El Paso.
Dayton police say nine people are dead along with the shooter in the incident there. In total 29 people were killed between the two incidents.
The FBI is assisting with the Dayton shooting investigation, a Dayton Police spokesperson said during a news conference early Sunday morning.
The shooting happened after 1:00 a.m. ET in a popular area in downtown Dayton, the spokesperson said.
According to police, the shooter, who is now dead, used a long gun. A motive for the shooting is not known.
Officers were in the area patrolling when the shooting started and were able to respond to the scene quickly, police said.
The shooting in Dayton, Ohio that left nine people dead and at least 16 others injured was the second mass shooting incident in the US in less than 24 hours.
Twenty people died and more than two dozen were injured following a shooting at a shopping complex in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday morning.
The two deadly incidents 1,500 miles apart are set to reignite the US gun control debate. Democratic leaders in Congress have already called for gun control, with a number of Democratic presidential candidates weighing in.
Nine people have been killed in a shooting incident in Dayton, Ohio, according to police.
Dayton Police Department said the suspect in the incident is dead as well.
At least 16 other people have been injured and are being treated in local hospitals, according to police.
The police said the FBI is on the scene to assist in the investigation.
Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton is treating 16 victims from the shooting, Terrea Little from the hospital’s communications department, told CNN.
Little would not give further details on the victims’ injuries.
Local hospitals in Dayton are “treating multiple victims in the ER from the shooting” in the Oregon District, according to Elizabeth Long, the spokesperson for Kettering Health Network.
Kettering Health Network operates several Dayton area hospitals including Kettering Medical Center and Grandview Medical Center.
Long told CNN she was unable to provide specific information about the number of victims.
Dayton Police Department said it will provide more information as they become available.
“This is a large scene and investigation. Thank you for your patience,” the police said on its Twitter account.
Police has asked residents to avoid the Oregon District area while they investigate an “active shooter incident.”
Neighboring Kettering Police Department told CNN they are responding to the shooting in Dayton as well.
Dayton police have asked anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information that would help the investigation to call 937-225-6217.
Dayton Police said on Twitter they were “actively investigating an active shooting incident” in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio, at 3:14 a.m. ET.
