BEAVERCREEK, OH - On Monday, November 20th, a gunman opened fire inside a Walmart, wounding four people before taking his own life.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the gunman injured three women and a man who were reportedly all shoppers in the store. As of Tuesday, November 21st, law enforcement officials said that three of them are in stable condition and one of the women is in critical but stable condition. All victims are being treated at local hospitals.
During a media briefing, Beavercreek Police Captain Scott Molnar said that the gunman entered the Walmart located at 3360 Pentagon Blvd at 8:35 p.m. and immediately began shooting. After shooting the four victims, the gunman reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone said, "Tragedy struck our beloved community Monday evening and in the face of adversity, the strength of our community shines through." One Walmart employee said that they heard at least two shots, but didn't see anyone get hit.
The worker said, "I thought it was glass at first. I heard a couple people running and screaming so I darted out and we got to the Burger King parking lot." Wright State University students Anna Cowley and Kailie Conley said that they counted between 30 and 40 police cruisers with lights and sirens pulling up to Walmart.
Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies responded as well as the Greene County Coroner's Office. Walmart said that it is working closely with investigators to determine the motive of the gunman, who has been identified as 20-year-old Benjamin Charles Jones, of Dayton, Ohio.
Authorities said that Jones entered Walmart wielding a Hi-Point 45-cailber Carbine long gun. He shot several rounds, leaving victims injured throughout the store. After that, he reportedly turned the gun on himself and fired. According to Molnar, all four victims were shoppers and not employees. They were in different areas of the store at the time of the shooting.
Zrinka Dilber, assistant special agent in charge of the Cincinnati FBI Field Office, said that the FBI is assisting Beavercreek police. They are actively investigating the shooter's background, motivation and possible associates. Jones reportedly moved to Dayton about a year ago.
Police are still investigating exactly how many shots were fired. The FBI and and Beavercreek Police Department say the gun used in the shooting was purchased just two days before the incident, and they're now scrutinizing the ATF Form 4473 to see whether any inaccuracies in the purchase process contributed to this tragedy.
In a statement, Walmart said, "We're heartbroken by what's happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio store. This remains a developing situation and we're working closely with investigators on the scene." Authorities have yet to release the identities of the victims, including their races, saying that they have not yet ruled out that the attack could have been a hate crime.
The shooting at the Beavercreek, Ohio, Walmart happed just one day after a man fatally shot a woman before killing himself outside of a Walmart in Anchorage, Alaska. According to law enforcement officials, that incident was a domestic-violence related crime and that no one else was involved.
Both of the shootings come almost one year after a Walmart supervisor in Chesapeake, Virginia, fatally shot six employees two days before Thanksgiving.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the gunman injured three women and a man who were reportedly all shoppers in the store. As of Tuesday, November 21st, law enforcement officials said that three of them are in stable condition and one of the women is in critical but stable condition. All victims are being treated at local hospitals.
During a media briefing, Beavercreek Police Captain Scott Molnar said that the gunman entered the Walmart located at 3360 Pentagon Blvd at 8:35 p.m. and immediately began shooting. After shooting the four victims, the gunman reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone said, "Tragedy struck our beloved community Monday evening and in the face of adversity, the strength of our community shines through." One Walmart employee said that they heard at least two shots, but didn't see anyone get hit.
The worker said, "I thought it was glass at first. I heard a couple people running and screaming so I darted out and we got to the Burger King parking lot." Wright State University students Anna Cowley and Kailie Conley said that they counted between 30 and 40 police cruisers with lights and sirens pulling up to Walmart.
Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies responded as well as the Greene County Coroner's Office. Walmart said that it is working closely with investigators to determine the motive of the gunman, who has been identified as 20-year-old Benjamin Charles Jones, of Dayton, Ohio.
Authorities said that Jones entered Walmart wielding a Hi-Point 45-cailber Carbine long gun. He shot several rounds, leaving victims injured throughout the store. After that, he reportedly turned the gun on himself and fired. According to Molnar, all four victims were shoppers and not employees. They were in different areas of the store at the time of the shooting.
Zrinka Dilber, assistant special agent in charge of the Cincinnati FBI Field Office, said that the FBI is assisting Beavercreek police. They are actively investigating the shooter's background, motivation and possible associates. Jones reportedly moved to Dayton about a year ago.
Police are still investigating exactly how many shots were fired. The FBI and and Beavercreek Police Department say the gun used in the shooting was purchased just two days before the incident, and they're now scrutinizing the ATF Form 4473 to see whether any inaccuracies in the purchase process contributed to this tragedy.
In a statement, Walmart said, "We're heartbroken by what's happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio store. This remains a developing situation and we're working closely with investigators on the scene." Authorities have yet to release the identities of the victims, including their races, saying that they have not yet ruled out that the attack could have been a hate crime.
The shooting at the Beavercreek, Ohio, Walmart happed just one day after a man fatally shot a woman before killing himself outside of a Walmart in Anchorage, Alaska. According to law enforcement officials, that incident was a domestic-violence related crime and that no one else was involved.
Both of the shootings come almost one year after a Walmart supervisor in Chesapeake, Virginia, fatally shot six employees two days before Thanksgiving.
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