At the center of this weekend’s deadly shooting spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a 45-year-old Uber driver who reportedly continued to pick up fares as police said he carried out three indiscriminate attacks.
For investigators, the lack of any discernible motive behind the random attacks is just as puzzling as the lack thus far of any red flags in their suspect’s background that might have prevented him from owning guns or driving for the ride-hailing service.
Jason Brian Dalton was charged Monday with 16 criminal counts from the Saturday shooting spree, which killed six people and injured two others in three separate incidents. The randomness of the shootings, coupled with reports that Mr. Dalton was shuttling Uber passengers across the city in between attacks, has rattled investigators.
Police said Mr. Dalton had no criminal history. Uber officials said he passed a background check meant to screen prospective drivers. And the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said investigators have thus far found no indication that Mr. Dalton was prohibited from owning the more than dozen firearms recovered from his possession.
“By all accounts he had a clear record,” said Donald Dawkins, a spokesman for the ATF’s Detroit field office. “Nothing in his background that would indicate any trouble at all.”
Ed Davis of the Uber Safety Advisory Board told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that there was “no background check that would have identified this man as a problem.”
The ride-hailing service said Mr. Dalton cleared a background check and was approved to be a driver on Jan. 25. He had given slightly more than 100 rides.
“There is a full background check done on all driver partners for Uber,” Mr. Davis said. “And this individual had the background check completed, and there was nothing in his background to indicate he was a problem. He had no record whatsoever.”
The first shooting, in which a woman was seriously injured, took place just before 6 p.m. Saturday outside a Kalamazoo apartment complex.
The next shooting occurred about four hours later at a car dealership. Richard Smith, 53, and his 17-year-old son Tyler Smith were shopping for cars at the dealership when they were gunned down in the parking lot.
The third and final shooting took place a short time later, around 10:24 p.m., outside a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Four women were killed and a 14-year-old girl critically injured. Authorities said the victims were all inside two vehicles when they were shot. They were identified as Dorothy Brown, 74; Barbara Hawthorne, 68; Mary Lou Nye, 62; and Mary Jo Nye, 60.
Mr. Dalton was arrested around 12:30 a.m. Sunday without incident after police spotted his vehicle in downtown Kalamazoo. He is charged with six counts of homicide, eight felony firearms counts and two counts of assault with intent to kill.
Police say that Mr. Dalton told investigators after he was in custody that “he took people’s lives.” However, any indication as to what might have set Mr. Dalton off on the deadly rampage remains unknown.
Reports have emerged from several individuals who said they hailed rides from Mr. Dalton through the Uber service either before or during the time of the ongoing shooting spree.
Matt Mellen told Kalamazoo television station WWMT that he hailed a ride around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. He said Mr. Dalton introduced himself as “Me-Me” and had a dog in the backseat.
Mr. Mellen sat in front. About a mile into the trip, Mr. Dalton got a phone call, and when he hung up, he began driving erratically, blowing through stop signs and sideswiping cars, Mr. Mellen said.
“We were driving through medians, driving through the lawn, speeding along, and when we came to a stop, I jumped out of the car and ran away,” Mr. Mellen said.
He said he called police and also reached out to contact Uber about the driver as well.
Another man, who wanted to be identified only as Derek, told WOOD-TV that he hailed an Uber to get himself and his family back to their hotel and was picked up by Mr. Dalton just after midnight Sunday. No lookout for the suspect had been broadcast at that point, but the family was aware of the shooting incident.
“I kind of jokingly said to the driver, ’You’re not the shooter, are you?’ He gave me some sort of a ’no’ response,” Derek told WOOD-TV. “I said, ’Are you sure?’ And he said, ’No, I’m not, I’m just tired.’”
In court Monday, Mr. Dalton was asked by a judge whether he wanted to make any comments. “I would prefer to remain silent,” he said.
He was denied bail, and his next court appearance is on March 3.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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