9 people have been confirmed dead after a shooting in Dayton, Ohio, according to police. Dayton Police say the suspect also is dead. At least 26 other people were injured in the incident that took place within 13 hours of a shooting that left 20 dead in El Paso, Texas.
The Dayton shooting took place around 1 a.m. on East 5th Street in the city’s Oregon District, a popular downtown area, Dayton Deputy Director and Assistant Chief of Police Lt. Col. Matt Carper told reporters early Sunday morning.
The suspect, who was shot and killed by responding officers, has not yet been identified. Carper said the shooter fired multiple rounds from a “long gun.” The shooting happened as the suspect was making his way toward a bar called Ned Peppers, Montgomery County Emergency Services spokeswoman Deb Decker said.
The shooter wore body armor, Decker said.No officers were injured in the confrontation, Carper said.
FOLLOW LIVE UPDATESMayor Nan Whaley said the shooter used a “.223 high-capacity” gun and had additional magazines with him. The .223 calibre is used in rifles like the AR-15 assault rifle used in previous mass shootings.”In less than one minute, Dayton first responders neutralized the shooter,” Whaley said.”I really want to — think about that minute. The shooter was able to kill nine people and injure 26 in less than a minute. And if we did not have police in the Oregon District and the thousands of people in the Oregon District enjoying their Saturday evening, what we could have had in this city,” Whaley said.
Police believe the suspect acted alone and that there is no remaining threat to the community, but the investigation is ongoing, Carper said. The FBI is assisting with the investigation, Carper said. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.
Though many people were killed or injured, Carper said that the incident was over quickly, because officers were already patrolling in the vicinity when the gunshots started.