OHIO, USA — On Aug. 4, 2019, just one day after El Paso, Texas endured a horrific mass shooting at a Walmart that claimed 23 lives, the city of Dayton found itself enduring the same pain in its Oregon entertainment district.
On that day, police killed 24-year-old Connor Betts after he opened fire in the district, injuring 27 people and killing nine including his sister Megan Betts within seconds.
As the community reflects on the gun violence that took place a year ago, Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown is calling on the president to speak to congress to take steps toward gun safety.
“After the shooting last year, I looked President Trump in the eye, and urged him to do the right thing. I asked him to call Mitch McConnell and tell him to allow the Senate to vote on gun safety, and to promise the American people he would sign it into law," Brown said in statement. "It’s been a year and he never followed through. People don’t have to keep dying and we have the power to stop it. We owe it to the victims and their families to act to keep Americans safe.”
Republican Senator Rob Portman acknowledged the anniversary in a tweet asking for prayers for those who were impacted by the shooting and offered mental health resources to those were struggling with the crisis.
According to the Associated Press, Dayton authorities are disappointed that even after a year and at least 100 interviews, they are still awaiting the findings of an FBI investigation into the influence and motivations of Connor Betts.
Other city FBI divisions, have also expressed their condolences.
"On the one-year anniversary of the horrific mass shooting in Dayton’s Oregon District, the FBI offers our continued support to the victims, their families, and all who were impacted in the community. We remain engaged with our partners at the Dayton Police Department in this ongoing investigation and will continue to do so to ensure all evidence and information connected to this case is thoroughly examined," Public Affairs Specialist Todd Lindgren said in a statement.
