Dayton police chief releases surveillance video, says shooter bought gun online
DAYTON, Ohio (SBG) — Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl revealed footage taken from a nearby establishment showing police engaging the 24-year-old gunman who fatally shot nine people and injured dozens of others in downtown Dayton early Sunday morning before he was killed.
The footage showed multiple officers turning a corner and running toward the gunfire. Video taken from another establishment showed the gunman, Connor Stephen Betts, stumbling and attempting to hide from police.
WARNING: This video contains graphic content.
The audio indicates heavy gunfire. According to the police chief, there were "dozens of rounds" fired.
Betts was killed within 30 seconds of firing his first shot, Biehl told reporters.
WARNING: This video contains graphic content.
The suspect was wearing a mask, a bulletproof vest, hearing protection and had several 100-round drum magazines, Biehl reported. The suspect's weapon was a .223 caliber-like rifle that he purchased online from Texas, which was transferred to a local gun dealer in Ohio. He also had a shotgun in his possession that he acquired from a local dealer.
Biehl said there was "nothing in this individual's record or history that would've precluded him from purchasing this firearm." Moreover, there is no indication that the high-capacity magazine was illegal, either.
The Dayton police chief largely ruled out the likelihood of bias in the crime. Of the nine people killed, six were black and three were white. The shooter's 22-year-old sister, Megan K. Betts was among the victims.
Authorities have yet to determine a motive in the shooting.
Officers patrolling the Oregon District responded to the gunfire in less than a minute. Within 30 seconds, the officers had "neutralized" the threat.
