Oregon District Shooting: Whaley reflects on strength of Dayton community 5 years later

DAYTON — Aug. 4, 2019, changed a community forever.

Early that morning Connor Betts killed nine people in the Oregon District, and almost 30 others got hurt.

News Center 7′s Mike Campbell sat down with former Mayor Nan Whaley, who led the city through darker days than she could ever imagine.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Oregon District Shooting: How 9 victims will be remembered, 4 years later

Whaley had been a commissioner and then in the mayor seat for a while in August of 2019.

But she said nothing prepared her for what happened in the Oregon District.

It began not with a phone call, but with a 2 a.m. knock on her door Sunday.

Whaley saw a city employee at her door and knew something serious was happening.

“It was all about the victims and we needed to make sure that we were thoughtful first about the victims and their families,” Whaley said.

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Whaley said with so many things needing to be done, she didn’t realize in the beginning how Dayton’s tragedy was in the national spotlight.

She said while that time was a blur, one thing vividly stood out to her.

“Absolutely the vigil, I knew the city had to do that vigil that day,” Whaley said.

She said the vigil helped reclaim the Oregon District.

She had no idea thousands of people would show up.

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“There was anger in the crowd but also relief to be together, there was a lot emotions. I thought what you saw there was Dayton at its best during one of its hardest times,” Whaley said.

Whaley voiced her appreciation for celebrities with Miami Valley backgrounds, like Dave Chappelle and John Legend, giving back and letting Dayton know its pain was important.

News Center 7 asked Whaley if when she looks back she feels like enough has been done to try and stop that kind of attack.

She answered with an emphatic no.

“It makes people frustrated and I understand that, and I feel that frustration. But I always remind myself the arc of these things are long and we don’t give up,” she said.

Whaley said she is proud that the community raised more than $4 million for a victims fund and to make the permanent memorial a reality.

She believes it honors not only the nine people who died but also the spirit of the entire region that wants to support all those traumatized and recovering.

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