A community in mourning gathers Sunday evening to remember the lives lost in the tragic mass shooting outside Ned Peppers in the Oregon District of Dayton.
Nine people were killed, 27 injured when the suspect opened fire at 1:07 a.m. ET on Sunday.
The vigil took place along 5th Street in the Oregon District of Dayton, near where the shooting occurred.
Attendees marched together down the street, sang songs, prayed together, listened to community leaders and paid tribute to those who tragically lost their lives early Sunday morning.
"I’m glad I got to see him, I got to see him in a very positive, fun environment, and I’m sad that we won’t get to see him like that again. But I am glad that we did have that yesterday," said Twyla Southall, brother Derrick Fudge killed.
The crowd interrupted a speech by Ohio’s Republican governor with shouts of “Make a change.”
As Gov. Mike DeWine told the crowd Sunday evening that the families’ pain can’t be erased, many started chanting: “Do something!”
Mayor Nan Whaley sought to calm them, saying the vigil was intended for the victims and there will be time later for dealing with policy issues.
Nine white doves have been released at a vigil to honor the nine adults killed by the gunman.
The mostly somber crowd sang “Amazing Grace” but erupted in cheers at the mention of emergency responders who had rushed to the scene.
Cyndi Johnson, who lives nearby, says the Oregon District is an area people visit to celebrate bridal showers and 21st birthdays. She says it’s not scary, and she doesn’t want it known that way.
As names of the slain victims were read aloud, the audience repeated each one.
The suspect’s sister, 22-year-old Megan Betts, was killed in the gunfire, along with 27-year-old Lois L. Oglesby, 38-year-old Saeed Saleh, 57-year-old Derrick R. Fudge, 30-year-old Logan M. Turner, 25-year-old Nicholas P. Cumer, 25-year-old Thomas J. McNichols, 36-year-old Beatrice N. Warren-Curtis and 39-year-old Monica N. Brickhouse.
Family members of the victims are starting to speak out, so we can learn more about their loved ones:
Lois Olgesby was the mother of two and in nursing school.
Megan Betts was studying Environmental Science at Wright State and was set to graduate in 2020.
Nick Cumer was a graduate student in the Master of Cancer Care program at Saint Francis University.
Thomas McNichols, a father of 4, was living with his aunt who describes him as a "gentle giant."
Derrick Fudge was at the entertainment district with his son and his son's fiance and others when the shots ran out. The family was in line to get food at one of the local vendors.
We are still learning more about the other four victims who lost their lives during the mass shooting.
Connor Betts, 24, was armed with a .223-caliber rifle with magazines capable of holding at least 100 rounds of ammunition when he fired off dozens of shots in a popular entertainment district, Police Chief Richard Biehl said.
Betts was gunned down within 30 seconds of the start of his rampage, police said. Surveillance video they shared shows officers shot Betts at the doorstep of further destruction, just stopping him from entering a bar where some people took cover when the chaos broke out around 1 a.m. Sunday in the historic Oregon District.
Had he gotten inside Ned Peppers Bar, the result would have been “catastrophic,” Biehl said.
Bullet holes remained visible in the window there as people left flower bouquets in memorial in front of Ned Peppers and other bars. At one store, a few purple flowers were tucked into a bullet hole.
For the latest on the investigation, click here.
