Unknowns in Ohio shooting include: Did he target his sister?

AP

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Police worked Monday to pin down why a 24-year-old gunman killed nine people, including his sister, in a weekend shooting rampage in a popular nightlife area in Dayton, Ohio.

Connor Betts, who was wearing a mask and body armor when he opened fire in the bustling Oregon District early Sunday morning, had a level of weaponry that was “fundamentally problematic,” said Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl. 

Betts was armed with an AR 15-style rifle, and if all of the magazines he had with him were full, which hasn’t been confirmed, he would have had a maximum of 250 rounds, Biehl said.

His rampage was the second mass shooting in the U.S. over the weekend, both leaving a total of 31 people dead and more than 50 injured.

In Ohio, more than 30 more people had injuries, including at least 14 who had gunshot wounds and others who suffered non-firearm injuries as people fled, city officials said.

Eleven people remained hospitalized Monday, Dayton Fire Chief Jeffrey Payne said.

Still unknown is whether Betts targeted any of the victims, including his 22-year-old sister, Megan, the youngest of the dead.

“It seems to just defy believability he would shoot his own sister, but it’s also hard to believe that he didn’t recognize it was his sister, so we just don’t know,” Biehl said.

While the gunman was white and six of the nine killed were black, police said the quickness of the rampage made any discrimination in the shooting seem unlikely. It all happened within 30 seconds, before police officers stationed nearby fatally shot Betts.

Any attempt to suggest a motive so early in the investigation would be irresponsible, the police chief said.

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