Five Years After the Mass Shooting in Dayton, Ohio, Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Statements

DAYTON, Ohio – Today, ahead of the five-year mark of the mass shooting in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio, in which nine people were shot and killed, 17 shot and wounded, and 10 other swounded, Everytown and the Ohio chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statements. 

“Five years ago, Dayton, Ohio was devastated by senseless and hateful gun violence. That trauma still ripples through the community today,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “It’s unacceptable that extremists in the state have prioritized passing a deadly ‘Shoot First’ law over common-sense legislation that actually saves lives. Ohio communities deserve better. We are dedicated to strengthening gun safety laws and dismantling hate to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.”

“Five years ago a gunman with a history of threats and violence against women shot and killed nine individuals in Dayton. Nobody should have to go through the pain that our city experienced,” said Kelsie Fields, chapter leader with the Ohio chapter of Moms Demand Action.“The impact and ripple effect of gun violence upon our families and communities is devastating. In honor of all of those who were impacted by this deadly shooting, we will continue to fight to hold our legislators accountable and we won’t stop until we get common sense legislation passed to save lives. We can end gun violence, but it’s up to our lawmakers to prioritize our lives over politics.”

The Dayton mass shooting happened less than 24 hours after 23 people were shot and killed and 22 others were shot and wounded at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. The shooter was motivated by hate, with the specific intent of killing members of the Latinx community.

On Sunday, the 8/4 Memorial in Dayton’s Oregon District is expected to be revealed at 2pm. The memorial has brought together local artists and artisans as a crucial step in the healing process and a way to honor the lives of the nine people who were killed in the mass shooting back in August 2019.

Despite the state’s gun homicide rate increasing over the past decade, and the state having one of the highest rates of unintentional shootings by children, in the wake of the horrific mass shooting, Ohio lawmakers passed, and Governor Mike DeWine signed into law, a dangerous ‘Shoot First’ law, encouraging violence and vigilantism in public—and eliminated the requirement that a person get a permit and safety training before carrying a concealed gun in public.  
Ohio also continues to have some of the weakest firearm laws in the country, scoring only 13 out of 100 for gun law strength. The state lacks any kind of law requiring gun owners to securely store their firearms when not in use.