Mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio

By Ivana Kottasová and Emanuella Grinberg, CNN

Updated 9:12 a.m. ET, August 5, 2019
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7:19 a.m. ET, August 5, 2019

Trump proposes tying background checks legislation with immigration reform

From Allie Malloy, CNN

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.

6:49 a.m. ET, August 5, 2019

Local college attended by shooter is left grieving after two alums die

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.

6:23 a.m. ET, August 5, 2019

Shooting victim was about to graduate with a job offer in hand

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:

Nick is remembered for his hard work and dedication to Maple Tree. He loved his patients and served them well, with a loving and caring spirit. He continuously went above and beyond our expectations and worked with a high level of excellence. He was well liked and respected by everyone on our team, and we all will miss him very much.”

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.

5:59 a.m. ET, August 5, 2019

What we know so far about the Dayton shooting

Here is an update on Sunday's deadly shooting in Dayton, Ohio.

  • Nine people are dead after a gunman, identified as Connor Betts, 24, fired dozens of shots in a busy neighborhood in the Oregon District in Dayton just after 1 a.m. ET on Sunday. The shooter is also dead.
  • Betts used .223-caliber high capacity rifle with 100-round drum magazines and wore a mask, bulletproof vest and hearing protection. He was killed by police within 30 seconds of opening fire, authorities said.
  • The weapon used in the shooting was ordered online from Texas and transferred to the suspect at a local firearms dealer near Dayton, authorities said.

Mourners gather at a vigil following a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio. 
Mourners gather at a vigil following a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio.  Photo: John Minchillo/AP

  • A motive is not yet known. 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.
Police mark evidence at the scene in Dayton.
Police mark evidence at the scene in Dayton. Photo: MEGAN JELINGER/AFP/Getty Images

  • The shooter's sister, Megan K. Betts, 22, was among the victims.
  • The eight other victims were named as: Lois L. Oglesby, female, 27; Saeed Saleh, male, 38; Derrick R. Fudge, male, 57; Logan M. Turner, male, 30; Nicholas P. Cumer, male, 25; Thomas J. McNichols, male, 25; Beatrice N. Warren-Curtis, female, 36 and Monica E. Brickhouse, female, 39.

4:29 a.m. ET, August 5, 2019

Analysis: America is under attack from within

From Zachary B. Wolf, CNN

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.

Mourners gather for a vigil at the scene of a mass shooting in Dayton on Sunday.
Mourners gather for a vigil at the scene of a mass shooting in Dayton on Sunday. Photo: John Minchillo/AP

3:54 a.m. ET, August 5, 2019

Police stopped the Dayton shooter in less than 30 seconds

From CNN's Hollie Silverman and Chuck Johnston

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.

12:52 a.m. ET, August 5, 2019

Classmates say Dayton gunman had a "hit list" in high school

By Paul P. Murphy, Audrey Ash and Gisela Crespo 

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.

10:58 p.m. ET, August 4, 2019

The school of the gunman's sister releases statement

From Ross Levitt

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.