Gunman Motivated by Racist Extremism Opens Fire in Ohio Walmart, Injuring Four

A gunman who carried out a shooting at a Walmart store in Ohio, injuring four people before taking his own life, may have been motivated by racist extremism, according to the FBI. The incident occurred just days before Thanksgiving in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton. The victims, two Black women, a white woman, and a white man, were wounded during the attack. The FBI has stated that evidence, including journal writings, suggests that the shooting may have been partly driven by racially violent extremist ideology.

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

On Tuesday, authorities reported that three of the victims were in stable condition, while a woman remained in critical but stable condition. The identities of the victims have not been disclosed.

This incident followed a similar shooting in Anchorage, Alaska, where a man fatally shot a woman before taking his own life outside a Walmart. Law enforcement in Anchorage indicated that the incident was related to domestic violence.

In 2019, a white gunman targeted Hispanic shoppers in a racially motivated attack, killing 23 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. In response, Walmart discontinued sales of certain types of ammunition and requested customers not to openly carry firearms in their stores. The retailer now only sells hunting rifles and related ammunition.

The Walmart store in Ohio has a history of violence, as it was the site of a fatal shooting involving the police almost a decade ago. In 2014, a white police officer shot and killed 22-year-old John Crawford III after he picked up an unpackaged pellet rifle from a store shelf. The family of the Black man reached a $1.7 million settlement with the city of Beavercreek, resulting in changes to police policy.

These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges faced by Walmart and other retailers in ensuring the safety of their customers and employees.