Police neutralised the Ohio gunman within 30 seconds after he started the killing spree that claimed nine innocent lives, report agencies. The attacker was shot and killed by police before he entered Ned Peppers Bar on Saturday night at Dayton city of Oregon District in Ohio. He was using a .223-caliber rifle. According to witnesses, as gunshots rang out, people started to run, ducking into bars and clubs. Within seconds, the shooter was brought to his knees by police right before he's able to enter a nightclub full of people.
Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl said his officers heard the gunshots, saw people fleeing and immediately ran toward danger. "The officers immediately advanced toward the gunfire and within approximately 20 seconds, they engaged the suspect, who was actively firing and attempting to enter a crowded liquor establishment," the police chief said.
The suspected shooter, identified as Connor Betts, was able to fire dozens of shots with a .223-caliber high capacity rifle with 100-round drum magazines, Biehl said during a press conference. Nine people died and 27 others were injured in the shooting. It could have been worse Betts fired round after round from his rifle as he headed toward a bar called Ned Peppers around 1 a.m. Sunday, according to Deb Decker, public information officer for Montgomery County. The suspected shooter donned a mask, a bulletproof vest and hearing protection, police said.
When a person grabbed the barrel of his rifle it didn't stop Betts. Instead, Decker says Betts simply "picked up a handgun and was willing to continue shooting." Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley emphasized that the death toll was the result of only a few seconds of shooting. "I really want to -- think about that minute. The shooter was able to kill nine people and injure 26 in less than a minute," Whaley said. "And if we did not have police in the Oregon District and the thousands of people in the Oregon District enjoying their Saturday evening, what we could have had in this city."
Surveillance video released by the police department shows Betts struggle as he turns a corner and attempts to enter a bar where dozens of people sought refuge from him. The suspect falls to the ground before his rampage has even reached the one minute mark. "The threat was neutralized at approximately 30 seconds of the suspect firing his first shot," Biehl said.
