2016 Kalamazoo shootings

[TheWorldNewsOrg]

Kalamazoo County, Michigan authorities say last evening's shooting spree resulted in six deaths with two others seriously wounded. Each victim was shot multiple times. Police acknowledge that an earlier report that a 14-year-old girl died is incorrect; she is alive, but "severely, gravely" injured. The suspect, a 45-year-old man who is a Uber driver without a prior criminal record, was taken into custody without a struggle.

[TheWorldNewsOrg]

On the night of February 20–21, 2016, six people were killed and two others injured in a series of seemingly random shootings that took place at an apartment complex, outside a Cracker Barrel restaurant, and a car dealership in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Police have detained a "strong suspect," later identified as Jason Dalton

The shootings began around 5:45 p.m. when a woman was shot multiple times in a Richland Township apartment parking lot; the woman survived but is in critical condition. About three hours later, the shooter arrived at a Kia dealership in Kalamazoo, where he shot and killed two people. This was followed by a third shooting outside a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Texas Township,[8] where four people seated inside two vehicles were killed and one other person was wounded. Police believe none of the victims at the separate scenes were connected.

Police have identified the suspect in the shootings as Kalamazoo resident Jason Brian Dalton, age 45. Police detained the suspect around 12:40 a.m. after pulling over his vehicle, a black Chevrolet HHR, which matched the description of the getaway vehicle in the shootings. Police found a semi-automatic handgun in the car.[2] Police indicated that Dalton had no known criminal history.

According to documents released by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, Dalton was born on June 22, 1970. Dalton is believed to have attended Comstock High School in Kalamazoo, graduating in 1989. Dalton worked as a driver for Uber and purportedly took fares between shooting incidents. An Uber representative stated that Dalton had passed company background checks.

Dalton was married and had two children at the time of the shootings

The fatalities include a father and his 18-year-old son; and four women aged 60, 63, 68, and 74. A 14-year-old girl who was with the four women was initially included in the fatalities, but later confirmed to have survived.

Name	Age	Notes
Mary Jo Nye	60	Killed at Cracker Barrel
Mary Lou Nye	62	Killed at Cracker Barrel
Dorothy Brown	74	Killed at Cracker Barrel
Barbara Hawthorne	68	Killed at Cracker Barrel
Tyler D. Smith	17	Killed at Kia car dealership
Richard E. Smith	53	Killed at Kia car dealership

Governor Rick Snyder expressed his condolences on Twitter, writing, "The families of Kalamazoo victims are in our thoughts today. Grateful to @KalPublicSafety @MichStatePolice @KzooSheriff for a quick arrest."

Joe Sullivan, Uber's Chief Security Officer, released a statement reading, "We are horrified and heartbroken at the senseless violence in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this devastating crime and those recovering from injuries. We have reached out to the police to help with their investigation in any way that we can."

[admin]