Shooting at Ohio Walmart was ‘inspired by racially motivated extremist ideology,’ says FBI
Monday night’s shooting at a Beavercreek, Ohio, Walmart that left four wounded and the gunman dead was racially motivated, according to FBI investigators.
An FBI spokesperson told WHIO 7 on Wednesday that evidence pointed to 20-year-old Benjamin Charles Jones, of Dayton, being inspired by racist ideology.
“Based on evidence collected, including journal writings from the attacker, he may have been at least partially inspired by racially motivated violent extremist ideology. The FBI will continue to investigate the motivating factors leading to this attack,” the spokesperson said.
Two of the victims are white and the other two are Black, according to the Bureau. All four were shopping at the store before the shooting.
Late Tuesday, police said three of the victims were stable while the fourth remained in critical but stable condition.
According to investigators, Jones began firing upon entering the store around 8:30 p.m. before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“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,” the spokesperson said, referring to a form needed to legally buy a handgun from a federally licensed dealer.
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