Gunman Opens Fire at Ohio Walmart, Injuring Four Before Killing Himself
BEAVERCREEK, Ohio – A gunman opened fire inside a Walmart store in Beavercreek, Ohio on Monday evening, injuring four people before taking his own life. This marks the second shooting incident at a Walmart store in the span of 24 hours.
You may also like to watch : Who Is Kamala Harris? Biography - Parents - Husband - Sister - Career - Indian - Jamaican Heritage
The attack occurred in the suburb of Dayton, just days before Thanksgiving, leaving three women and a man wounded. Police have not released the identities of the victims or ruled out the possibility of the attack being racially motivated.
Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone addressed the incident during a news conference, stating, “Tragedy struck our beloved community Monday evening, and, in the face of adversity, the strength of our community shines through.”
Walmart is working closely with investigators to determine the motive behind the shooter, identified as 20-year-old Benjamin Charles Jones from Dayton. Jones entered the store on Monday evening carrying a Hi-Point 45-caliber Carbine long gun. After shooting an unknown number of rounds, he turned the weapon on himself.
The incident comes just one day after a man killed a woman and himself outside a Walmart store in Anchorage, Alaska. Police have determined that this incident was domestic-violence related and are not seeking any other suspects.
You may also like to watch: Is US-NATO Prepared For A Potential Nuclear War With Russia - China And North Korea?
Walmart has made efforts to address gun violence in its stores, including launching active shooter training in 2015 and discontinuing sales of certain kinds of ammunition in 2019. The retailer now sells only hunting rifles and related ammunition and has asked customers not to openly carry firearms in their stores.
The Ohio Walmart store where the shooting took place was also the site of a fatal shooting involving police in 2014. John Crawford III, a Black man, was shot by a white police officer after picking up an unpackaged pellet rifle he found on a shelf. The city of Beavercreek reached a settlement of $1.7 million with Crawford’s family, which included changes in police policy.
Mayor Stone acknowledged the tragic similarities between the two incidents, stating, “It can’t help but bring back memories. You know, it’s a tragedy all in itself, though, and this is the tragedy we are grieving for.”
