Evidence markers rest on the street at the scene of a mass shooting, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Dayton, Ohio. Nine people in Ohio have been killed in the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours, and the suspected shooter is also deceased, police said. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP)
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — A gunman wearing body armor and carrying extra magazines opened fire in a popular nightlife area of Dayton, Ohio, killing nine and injuring dozens, authorities say, in the second U.S. mass shooting in less than 24 hours.
Dayton police patrolling the area responded in less than a minute to the shooting, which unfolded around 1 a.m. Sunday on the streets of the Oregon District, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said at a press conference.
Whaley said if the police had not responded so quickly, "hundreds of people in the Oregon District could be dead today."
The Oregon District is a historic neighborhood that Lt. Col. Matt Carper described as "a safe part of downtown," home to entertainment options, including bars, restaurants and theaters.
The gunman, who has not been identified by authorities, was shot to death by responding officers. Whaley said he was carrying a .223-caliber rifle and had additional high-capacity magazines with him. Police believe there was only one shooter, and have not yet identified the suspect or a motive.
At least 26 others are being treated at area hospitals, though no details about their conditions have been released.
Authorities work at the scene of a mass shooting, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Dayton, Ohio. Several people in Ohio have been killed in the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours, and the suspected shooter is also deceased, police said. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP)
Bodies are removed from at the scene of a mass shooting, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Dayton, Ohio. Several people in Ohio have been killed in the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours, and the suspected shooter is also deceased, police said. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP)
Witnesses comfort one another at the scene of a mass shooting, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Dayton, Ohio. Several people in Ohio have been killed in the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours, and the suspected shooter is also deceased, police said. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP)
Bodies are removed from at the scene of a mass shooting, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Dayton, Ohio. Several people in Ohio have been killed in the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours, and the suspected shooter is also deceased, police said. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP)
Police officers at the crime scene in Dayton, Ohio on August 4, 2019 following the mass shooting in the Oregon district of Dayton. (Photo: Tom Russo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley (R) is consoled by a member of the religious community moments after her press conference on a shooting in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio on August 4, 2019. (Photo: Tom Russo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
Police officers at the crime scene in Dayton, Ohio on August 4, 2019 following the mass shooting in the Oregon district of Dayton. Media reports state that nine people have been killed and many more injured after a gunman opened fired outside a bar in Dayton. Police confirmed they killed the gunman at the scene. (Photo: Tom Russo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
Shoes are piled outside the scene of a mass shooting including Ned Peppers bar, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Dayton, Ohio. Several people in Ohio have been killed in the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours, and the suspected shooter is also deceased, police said. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP)
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