BEAVERCREEK, Ohio — The Beavercreek Police Department identified the suspect behind the Beavercreek Walmart shooting as Benjamin Charles Jones, 20, of Dayton, Ohio. 

What You Need To Know

  • Capt. Chad Lindsey, the acting police chief, said the department received the first 911 call at 8:36 p.m. Monday night of a man, now identified as Jones, walking into the Walmart on the 3300 block of Pentagon Boulevard with a rifle

  • Lindsey said police officers were dispatched within a minute and got to the scene at 8:39 p.m.

  • Police then entered the building, heard a gunshot and located Jones, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound
  • The motive and other details are still under investigation

Capt. Chad Lindsey, the acting police chief, said the department received the first 911 call at 8:36 p.m. Monday night of a man, now identified as Jones, walking into the Walmart on the 3300 block of Pentagon Boulevard with a rifle. Lindsey said police officers were dispatched within a minute and got to the scene at 8:39 p.m.

Police then entered the building, heard a gunshot and located Jones. Jones was found on the ground at 8:42 p.m. and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Lindsey said. 

The scene had been cleared at 9:14 p.m.

Four other people were wounded in the shooting, three women and one man, all identified as shoppers. As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, all victims are in stable condition. One is listed as critical, but stable, Lindsey said. 

"In the face of adversity, the strength in our community shines through," said Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone. "Together, we unite in support and resilience during these challenging moments."

Zrinka Dilber, the special agent in charge for the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, said the motive is unknown and under investigation. Not many details were released about Jones, other than he was a resident of Dayton, moved away and then moved back into the area a little under a year ago. Dilber encouraged the public to submit tips to the FBI's tip line (1-800-CALL-FBI) if they have more information. 

Lindsey said the police served search warrants of Jones' home, as well as his vehicle, which was in the parking lot. They also are speaking with family, which Lindsey said is in the area, as well as witnesses. 

Lindsey said the investigation remains active and fluid, and more information will be released when available. 

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families impacted by this horrific tragedy. The well-being of our police officers and first responders is also paramount. Our police wellness programs and established protocols are actively engaged to support them as they deal with the emotional impact of this event," The Beavercreek Police Department wrote in a statement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the FBI are assisting in the investigation.

In a statement early Tuesday morning, Walmart said they are heartbroken by what happened at the Beavercreek store.

“This remains a developing situation, and we’re working closely with investigators on the scene,” Walmart said in the statement.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Congressman Mike Turner, OH-10, said his prayers and support are with the victims and their familes as well as the people of Beavercreek.

“I am grateful that the four victims survived the horrific event, and I am praying for the one survivor who remains in critical condition," he said in the statement. “Thank you to the brave law enforcement officers who worked to protect innocent lives.”

The shooting at the Walmart in Beavercreek, a Dayton suburb of more than 45,000 residents, is among a handful of shootings taking place at the grocery chain in the past few years.

The shooting happened a day after two people were shot and killed outside a Walmart in south Anchorage, Alaska. Police are still searching for a suspect in that case. The store was evacuated before closing for the day, and officers helped people reach their vehicles.

In November of last year, a Walmart supervisor in Chesapeake, Virginia, fatally shot six employees on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The shooter died at the scene of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

In 2019, a white gunman killed 23 people at a Walmart in El Paso in a racist attack that targeted Hispanic shoppers.

Nearly 12 years ago, the Beavercreek Walmart was the site of a fatal shooting involving police. A white police officer shot 22-year-old John Crawford III, after he picked up an unpackaged pellet rifle he found on a shelf in August 2014. The family of the Black man reached a settlement of $1.7 million with the city of Beavercreek. The settlement included changes in police policy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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