Uber driver allegedly picked up fares between killing people during shooting rampage
- 8 years ago
KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN — A man is in custody following a shooting spree in Michigan over the weekend that left six people dead and two injured, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said in a press conference.
At 5:42 p.m. on Saturday, a woman was allegedly shot by an Uber driver several times at the Meadows Townhomes parking lot in Kalamazoo's Northeast Side, Getting said. Police said she was with three of her children when the shooter drove by. She is in serious condition but is expected to live.
Four hours later at 10:08 p.m., Jason Dalton, the accused shooter, drove by the Seelye Ford KIA dealership and shot and killed a father and a son, Getting said. Authorities have identified the victims as 17-year-old Tyler Smith and 53-year-old Richard Smith.
At 10:24 p.m., Dalton reportedly shot at a Chevrolet Cruze and an Oldsmobile minivan in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant.
Mary Lou Nye was driving a minivan and Mary Jo Nye, along with Dorothy Brown, Barbara Hawthorne and a 14-year-old teen were passengers in the sedan. The teen survived the attack, reported Wood TV8.
CNN reports that Dalton may have even looked for fares after the final shooting.
At 12:40 a.m. on Sunday, Dalton was taken into custody without incident and police seized a semi-automatic handgun from his car, Getting said. A search of his residence showed that Dalton appeared to have acted on his own.
Shortly before his first shooting, Dalton picked up Matt Mellen, a Kalamazoo resident, at 4:30 p.m. for an Uber ride, Mackenzie Waite, Mellen's fiance, said to the Washington Post in a phone interview. She said drove so dangerously that Mellen cut the journey short and called 911.
"He blew through a stop sign, side-swiped a car, starting driving in [and] out of the other lane of traffic," Waite said. "My fiance was just pleading with him to stop the entire time."
Uber's chief security officer, Joe Sullivan, confirmed Dalton was a driver and passed a background check.
Dalton had no prior criminal record and police have yet to find a motive for the shooting spree. Dalton is expected to be arraigned on Monday.
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At 5:42 p.m. on Saturday, a woman was allegedly shot by an Uber driver several times at the Meadows Townhomes parking lot in Kalamazoo's Northeast Side, Getting said. Police said she was with three of her children when the shooter drove by. She is in serious condition but is expected to live.
Four hours later at 10:08 p.m., Jason Dalton, the accused shooter, drove by the Seelye Ford KIA dealership and shot and killed a father and a son, Getting said. Authorities have identified the victims as 17-year-old Tyler Smith and 53-year-old Richard Smith.
At 10:24 p.m., Dalton reportedly shot at a Chevrolet Cruze and an Oldsmobile minivan in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant.
Mary Lou Nye was driving a minivan and Mary Jo Nye, along with Dorothy Brown, Barbara Hawthorne and a 14-year-old teen were passengers in the sedan. The teen survived the attack, reported Wood TV8.
CNN reports that Dalton may have even looked for fares after the final shooting.
At 12:40 a.m. on Sunday, Dalton was taken into custody without incident and police seized a semi-automatic handgun from his car, Getting said. A search of his residence showed that Dalton appeared to have acted on his own.
Shortly before his first shooting, Dalton picked up Matt Mellen, a Kalamazoo resident, at 4:30 p.m. for an Uber ride, Mackenzie Waite, Mellen's fiance, said to the Washington Post in a phone interview. She said drove so dangerously that Mellen cut the journey short and called 911.
"He blew through a stop sign, side-swiped a car, starting driving in [and] out of the other lane of traffic," Waite said. "My fiance was just pleading with him to stop the entire time."
Uber's chief security officer, Joe Sullivan, confirmed Dalton was a driver and passed a background check.
Dalton had no prior criminal record and police have yet to find a motive for the shooting spree. Dalton is expected to be arraigned on Monday.
-------------------------------------------------------------
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Check out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCj
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