More details are emerging that indicate the man responsible for the deadly mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, this past weekend displayed clear warning signs of a potential for violence.
According to the Dayton Daily News, a friend of Connor Betts said that the suspected shooter pointed a gun at his head five months ago. Will El-Fakir, who reportedly went to high school with Betts, told the newspaper that the incident followed earlier incidents of concerning behavior, and that it prompted him to sever ties with Betts.
“He was getting a little violent with friends,” El-Fakir said. “He started bringing guns around us for no particular reason.”
And in at least one incident, Betts made comments suggestive of a mass shooting.
“There were times when he went to bars and just scoped the place out,” El-Fakir said. “He’d say, ‘If I brought this-or-that through here, it would have done some damage.’”
El-Fakir also claimed that Betts, who reportedly obtained the firearm he used in the massacre through legal means, favored stricter gun control laws.
Betts, 24, killed nine people, including his 22-year-old sister Megan Betts, before police fatally shot him — less than a minute before he opened fire in a popular entertainment district at around 1 a.m. on Sunday.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Betts was suspended from Bellbrook High School, apparently on two separate occasions, after he allegedly created “hit lists” and “rape lists” targeting fellow students. The Dayton Daily News unsuccessfully attempted to obtain records of the incident from local police, the court, and the school district. The Sugarcreek Township Police Department and the Greene County Juvenile Court clerk reportedly cited a records expungement law in their denial of the request, and Bellbrook Police reportedly said they did not have any records of the incidents.
David Partridge, now 26, told the newspaper that he was among those who reported the alleged “hit list” to police in 2009. Partridge said he also called Betts about the list, and said that Betts tried to deny it. The former schoolmate also said that he witnessed police take Betts into custody at the school.
The Dayton Daily News confirmed Partridge’s account with another former student, who reportedly asked not to be identified.
Authorities have not publicly stated a motive for the shooting, and it is unclear if Betts intended to target his sister.
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