Gunman Benjamin Charles Jones Opens Fire Inside Ohio Walmart, Wounding Four in Possible Racist Extremist Attack

A gunman opened fire inside an Ohio Walmart, injuring four people before taking his own life, according to the FBI. The incident occurred in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton, just days before Thanksgiving. Among the wounded were two Black women, a white woman, and a white man. The FBI stated that evidence, including journal writings, suggests that the shooting may have been motivated by racially violent extremist ideology.

The shooter has been identified as 20-year-old Benjamin Charles Jones from Dayton. He entered the store on Monday night armed with a Hi-Point 45-caliber Carbine long gun. After firing an undetermined number of rounds and injuring several victims, he turned the weapon on himself. Efforts by The Associated Press to contact Jones’ relatives have been unsuccessful.

As of Tuesday, three victims were in stable condition at local hospitals, while one woman remained in critical but stable condition. The authorities have not released the identities of the victims.

This incident follows another shooting the previous day outside a Walmart in Anchorage, Alaska, where a man shot and killed a woman before taking his own life. Police in Anchorage have classified it as a domestic violence-related crime.

In 2019, a white gunman killed 23 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, in a racially motivated attack targeting Hispanic shoppers. In response, Walmart discontinued sales of certain ammunition and prohibited customers from openly carrying firearms in their stores. Currently, the retailer only sells hunting rifles and related ammunition.

The Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio, has a history of gun-related incidents. In 2014, a white police officer shot and killed 22-year-old John Crawford III, a Black man, after he picked up an unpackaged pellet rifle from a shelf. Crawford’s family reached a $1.7 million settlement with the city of Beavercreek, which included changes in police policy.

These incidents highlight the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States and the need for comprehensive measures to address it.