Days after Dayton Shooting, which left nine people dead and several others injured, new information has surfaced about suspected shooter Connor Betts. In the hours after the incident occurred, it was revealed that Betts shot and killed his sister, Megan.
The alleged gunman reportedly drove to the city’s historic Oregon District with his 22-year-old sister and an unidentified companion, according to Daily Mail. The trio drove together in a 2007 Toyota Corolla owned by the Betts family prior to the shooting.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Daily Mail reported that Betts, 24, and his sister separated at some point during the night. They parted ways early in the night, shortly after parking the car in a nearby lot.
It remains unclear what Megan did in the hours before her brother opened fire on the busy street, shooting upwards of 30 people. According to Daily Mail, authorities are still working to determine where Betts went after he and his sister separated.
Megan was the youngest person Betts killed. The other victims, WKRN reported, ranged in age from 25 to 57.
The shooting took place at around 1 a.m. local, just as bars were preparing to close. Using a .233-caliber rifle, Betts allegedly fired into the crowded street outside the Ned Peppers Bar. He killed nine people and shot 27 others, according to CBS News. Betts was killed less than one minute into his rampage.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley told reporters quick action from law enforcement prevented the tragedy from being worse than it was. He noted that had police not responded so far, Betts could have entered one of the bars in the area and killed or injured more people.
“While this is a sad day for the city, I am amazed by the quick response of the people that saved literally hundreds of lives,” Whaley told reporters.
The motive for the shooting remains a mystery at this time. Whaley told reporters, “Speculating at this point would be premature.” He promised to share more information once it was available.
Betts, a Bellbrook, Ohio native, was confirmed as the suspected shooter early on, Newsweek reported. Authorities were said to be searching his home on Sunday morning in hopes of finding more information about the shooting. Reporters with WRGT revealed that investigators uncovered several pieces of evidence from the scene, but did not immediately say what it was.
Matt Carper, Assistant Chief of the Dayton Police Department declined to comment on whether the Betts family was cooperating with police during a noon press conference on Sunday. Carper also didn’t comment on a potential or confirmed motive, but said it appeared all victims were shot at random.
“Due to the short timeline of the violence it’s hard to imagine there was much discrimination in the shooting,” he said at the time.
Carper went on to say, “Today is the 250th mass shooting in America. It’s sad that it was in the city of Dayton.”
