E-Paper
FBI investigates probable racial extremism in Ohio Walmart shooting
FBI finds evidence of racially motivated ideology in Ohio Walmart shooter's journal.
A young man who shot four people at a Walmart store in Beavercreek, Ohio, on Monday night may have been influenced by a radical ideology based on race, according to the FBI.
The 20-year-old shooter, Benjamin Charles Jones, also took his own life following the violent spree.
The FBI said on Wednesday that they found evidence in Jones’ journal writings that suggested he was at least partly motivated by Racially Motivated Violent Extremist (RMVE) ideology. They did not elaborate on the nature or source of the ideology, but said the investigation was still ongoing.
Jones had purchased the gun he used in the shooting, a Hi-Point .45 caliber carbine, just two days before the incident. The FBI said they were checking if he had lied on his gun purchase paperwork.
ALSO READ| 68-year-old California jogger charged for the murder of a homeless man who is blocking the sidewalk
The shooting occurred around 8:35 p.m. on Monday at the Walmart store in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton. Jones entered the store and opened fire, injuring four people: a white woman, two black women, and a white man. All four victims were taken to nearby hospitals and are in stable condition.
No police officers fired their weapons during the response, according to the Beavercreek Police Department. Jones died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the store.
The police said they had no information on Jones’ motive or background.
“We have no motive yet, no information on what he may have been thinking, or anything else,” Beavercreek Police Capt. Scott Molnar told reporters Monday night, according to NBC News.
Walmart issued a statement on Tuesday, expressing its sorrow over the incident. “We’re heartbroken by what’s happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio store,” a company spokeperson said.
“This remains a developing situation, and we’re working closely with investigators on the scene. All questions should be directed to local law enforcement,” the statement concluded.
ALSO READ| Two alleged drug suppliers arrested in TikTok star Cooper Noriega's overdose case
The Beavercreek shooting was the second deadly incident at a Walmart store in the U.S. in less than a day.
A man and a woman, were fatally shot on Sunday night in the parking area of an Anchorage, Alaska Walmart, as reported by the Anchorage Police Department.
The police said they had no suspects or motive in that case.
