DAYTON, Ohio — A shooter in body armour and carrying extra magazines opened fire early Sunday in a popular nightlife area of Dayton, Ohio, killing nine and injuring dozens before being slain by police, authorities say, in the second U.S. mass shooting in less than 24 hours.
Police patrolling the area responded in less than a minute to the shooting, which unfolded around 1 a.m. on the streets of downtown Dayton’s Oregon District, Mayor Nan Whaley said.
Had police not responded so quickly, “hundreds of people in the Oregon District could be dead today,” Whaley said.
The historic neighbourhood that police Lt. Col. Matt Carper described as “a safe part of downtown,” is home to bars, restaurants and theatres.
The suspected shooter, who has not been identified, was shot to death by responding officers. Whaley said the shooter was carrying a .223-calibre rifle and had additional high-capacity magazines. Police believe there was only one shooter, and also have not yet given a motive for the attack.
Whaley said at least 27 people were treated for injuries, and at least 15 of those have been released. Several more remain in serious or critical condition, local hospital officials said at a news conference.
They said some people suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and others suffered injuries as they fled.
Nikita Papillon, 23, was across the street at Newcom’s Tavern when the shooting started. She said she saw a girl she had talked to earlier lying outside Ned Peppers Bar.
“She had told me she liked my outfit and thought I was cute, and I told her I liked her outfit and I thought she was cute,” Papillon said. She herself had been to Ned Peppers the night before, describing it as the kind of place “where you don’t have to worry about someone shooting up the place.”
“People my age, we don’t think something like this is going to happen,” she said. “And when it happens, words can’t describe it.”
Tianycia Leonard, 28, was in the back, smoking, at Newcom’s. She heard “loud thumps” that she initially thought was someone pounding on a dumpster.
“It was so noisy, but then you could tell it was gunshots and there was a lot of rounds,” Leonard said.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting and praised law enforcement’s speedy response in a tweet Sunday.
Gov. Mike DeWine issued his own statement, announcing that he ordered flags in Ohio remain at half-staff and offering assistance to Whaley and prayers for the victims.
Whaley said she has been in touch with the White House, though not Trump directly, and with DeWine. She said more than 50 other mayors also have reached out to her.
The FBI is assisting with the investigation. A family assistance centre was set up at the Dayton Convention Center.
The Ohio shooting came hours after a young man opened fire in a crowded El Paso, Texas, shopping area, leaving 20 dead and more than two dozen injured. Just days before, on July 28, a 19-year-old shot and killed three people, including two children, at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California.
Sunday’s shooting in Dayton is the 22nd mass killing of 2019 in the U.S., according to the AP/USA Today/Northeastern University mass murder database that tracks homicides where four or more people were killed – not including the offender. The 20 mass killings in the U.S. in 2019 that preceded this weekend claimed 96 lives.
Whaley said the Oregon District is expected to reopen Sunday afternoon, and a vigil is planned Sunday evening.
The shooting in Dayton comes after the area was heavily damaged when tornadoes swept through western Ohio in late May, destroying or damaging hundreds of homes and businesses.
“Dayton has been through a lot already this year, and I continue to be amazed by the grit and resiliency of our community,” Whaley said.
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Written by Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Dayton and Kantele Franko in Columbus.
*An update was provided by police stating the shooting occurred around 1:00 a.m. and not 1:22 a.m. as initially stated.
