DAYTON, OH – In a devastating incident near Dayton, Ohio, an unidentified gunman opened fire at a local Walmart before committing suicide. The incident, which took place on Monday night, left four victims injured.
Providing details about the incident, the Beavercreek Police Department stated that the male shooter entered the Walmart around 8:35 p.m., opened fire injuring four people, and then turned the weapon on himself. Further clarification came from the Beavercreek Police Department in a social media post, where they affirmed that no responding police officers discharged their firearms.
The injured victims were promptly hospitalized, their conditions remaining unknown at this time. Law enforcement has yet to reveal the identity of the shooter, and it’s unclear whether he knew any of his victims.
This marks the second shooting to occur at this Beavercreek location with a prior incident dating back almost a decade. In the initial event, police fatally shot a Black man who held an unpackaged air rifle found at the store, igniting public anger and calls for police reform.
The frequent occurrence of shootings at common settings like retail stores, schools, and parties, has unfortunately transformed popular public spaces into crime scenes. This year alone, the US has witnessed 609 mass shootings, as reported by the Gun Violence Archive.
Walmart expressed their distress over the situation, stating “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.”
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations are currently investigating the event.