Police: Walmart shooter had racial motivation, past mental health hospitalization

Nov. 22—The shootings at the Beavercreek Walmart on Monday "may have been at least partially inspired by Racially Motivated Violent Extremist (RMVE) ideology," the FBI and Beavercreek police said Wednesday.

They said that conclusion was "based on evidence collected, including journal writings from the attacker, Benjamin Charles Jones."

The victims injured during the attack include a while female, two Black females, and a white male, according to police.

The law enforcement agencies also said that the gun Jones used — a Hi-Point .45 caliber carbine with one 9-round magazine — was purchased last Saturday, Nov. 18, from a store in the Dayton area.

Around 8:35 p.m. Monday night, Jones, a 20-year-old from Dayton, reportedly entered the Beavercreek Walmart and opened fire. When officers arrived minutes later, they found Jones on the floor near the store's vision center dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

As of Tuesday afternoon, three victims were in stable condition and the fourth victim was in critical but stable condition, Beavercreek police Capt. Chad Lindsey said.

Officials said investigators are "continuing to look at the background of the subject to determine if any of his answers on the ATF Form 4473 were inaccurate." Among the items on that form is this question: "Have you ever been adjudicated as a mental defective OR have you ever been committed to a mental institution?"

The likely reason for that probe is because Fairborn police were called to Jones' home in both April and May of 2022, as Jones was experiencing suicidal ideation, according to Fairborn police reports. Both times Jones was "pink-slipped" and taken to Soin Medical Center, according to police. The "pink-slip" process refers to detaining someone for emergency admission to a hospital for mental illness reasons.

Under federal law, anyone who is involuntarily committed to a mental institution is prohibited from buying a firearm.

The FBI and Beavercreek police said they will continue to investigate the motivating factors leading to the attack.

The FBI also continues to ask for the public's help as it investigates the suspected shooter who injured four people at the Walmart store Monday night before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Beavercreek police released a photo Wednesday of Jones. Anyone with information on Jones should contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting tips.fbi.gov.

Zrinka Dilber, assistant special agent in charge of the Cincinnati FBI Field Office, encouraged anyone who may have known Jones or his motivations or who knows other people Jones associated with to reach out to the FBI.

Police were outside Jones' Dayton home Tuesday evening as part of the ongoing investigation. The Dayton Daily News spoke to several neighbors in the area on Wednesday who said they didn't know the family well.

Reporters also knocked on the door of the Jones residence on Wednesday and were asked to leave.

The Dayton Daily News spoke to neighbors of Jones' former Fairborn home, who said they never had any problems or interactions with him.

An Instagram account that appears to belong to Jones includes a mix of photos of Jones alone and with others, and a few photos of him with firearms.

Walmart announced the Beavercreek store, at 3360 Pentagon Blvd., will reopen at 6 a.m. Friday.

"Following Monday's tragedy at our Beavercreek store, our focus has remained on supporting our associates' well-being," read a statement from the company. "While speaking with them about when to reopen and resume serving customers, their overwhelming feedback was to do so as soon as possible."

The store will resume normal business hours.