(AP) – A white gunman who opened fire inside a Walmart in Ohio and injured four people before taking his own life may have been driven by racist extremism, according to the FBI. The attack occurred in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton, just days before Thanksgiving.
The victims of the shooting, which included two Black women, a white woman, and a white man, were wounded during the incident. The FBI stated that evidence, including journal writings, suggest that the shooter, identified as 20-year-old Benjamin Charles Jones, may have been influenced by racially violent extremist ideology.
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Jones entered the store on Monday night, armed with a Hi-Point 45-caliber Carbine long gun, and proceeded to fire several rounds, injuring multiple individuals before turning the weapon on himself. Attempts by The Associated Press to contact Jones’ relatives were unsuccessful.
The FBI revealed that Jones had purchased the gun just two days prior to the attack from a store in Dayton. Authorities are currently investigating whether he provided false information on his background check form, as well as delving into his online activity and personal history.
As of Tuesday, three of the victims were in stable condition, while one woman remained in critical but stable condition.
This incident follows another deadly shooting outside a Walmart in Anchorage, Alaska, where a man killed a woman before taking his own life. Police in Anchorage have classified the incident as a domestic-violence related crime.
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It is worth noting that in 2019, a white gunman targeted Hispanic shoppers in a racist attack at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, resulting in the deaths of 23 people. In response, Walmart discontinued sales of certain ammunition and prohibited customers from openly carrying firearms in their stores. The retailer now only sells hunting rifles and related ammunition.
Interestingly, the Walmart in Beavercreek where the recent shooting occurred was also the site of a fatal shooting involving 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 shelf. The city of Beavercreek reached a $1.7 million settlement with Crawford’s family, which included changes in police policy.
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