Dayton Shooting: Motive still unclear; shooter had 250 rounds of ammunition

DAYTON — The motive behind a mass shooting that killed nine and injured 37 in Dayton’s Oregon District early Sunday morning is still unclear, Police Chief Richard Biehl said during a press conference Monday morning.

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Connor Betts, 24, of Bellbrook, opened fire outside of Ned Peppers on East Fifth Street before police shot and killed him.

Among those killed is Megan Betts, Connor Betts’ sister, as well as Nicholas Cumer, Logan Turner, Thomas McNichols, Derrick Fudge, Saheed Saleh, Lois Oglesby, Monica Brickhous and Beatrice “Nicole” Warren-Curtis.

Biehl said that it’s hard to believe that Connor Betts didn’t know one of his victims was his sister.

@DaytonPolice Chief says he does not believe the shooter’s sister and a male friend knew about the shooter’s weapon or when he may have grabbed it Saturday night/Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/0cT2tsnP1p
— Mike Campbell (@MCampbellWHIO) August 5, 2019

He also said he doesn’t believe that Megan Betts or a male friend who was also in the Oregon District at the time of the shooting knew about Connor Betts’ weapon.

It’s also too early to determine if the shooting was a hate-based crime, Biehl added.

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Betts had 250 rounds of ammunition with him during and police have recovered 41 spent shell casings.

They also collected 48 45-caliber casings, 16 .233 casings and one shot gun shell casing, Biehl said.

Fire Chief Jeff Payne said that 37 patients were treated at area hospitals from the shooting and that 11 are still hospitalized.

Dayton fire chief says those injured suffered gunshot injuries, trampling injuries and cuts from glass. pic.twitter.com/IBhNpcxaRc
— Mike Campbell (@MCampbellWHIO) August 5, 2019

Injuries included gunshot wounds and lacerations from people trying to escape the shooting.
Fourteen of the injured people had gunshot wounds, Beihl said.

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Mayor Nan Whaley noted that while the Oregon District reopened Sunday, some of the restaurants and businesses are still closed. She explained that some of those businesses are typically closed on Sundays and Mondays and are operating on their normal hours.

She also said that she did speak with President Trump before the vigil in the Oregon District at 8 p.m. Sunday.

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