Posted on 08/05/2019 6:25:32 AM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
High school classmates of the gunman who killed nine people early Sunday in Dayton, Ohio, say he was suspended for compiling a “hit list” of those he wanted to kill and a “rape list” of girls he wanted to sexually assault.
The accounts by two former classmates emerged after police said there was nothing in the background of 24-year-old Connor Betts that would have prevented him from purchasing the .223-caliber rifle with extended ammunition magazines that he used to open fire outside a crowded bar. Police on patrol in the entertainment district fatally shot him less than a minute later.
Both former classmates told The Associated Press that Betts was suspended during their junior year at suburban Bellbrook High School after a hit list was found scrawled in a school bathroom. That followed an earlier suspension after Betts came to school with a list of female students he wanted to sexually assault, according to the two classmates, a man and a woman who are both now 24 and spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern they might face harassment.
“There was a kill list and a rape list, and my name was on the rape list,” said the female classmate.
A former cheerleader, the woman said she didn’t really know Betts and was surprised when a police officer called her cellphone during her freshman year to tell her that her name was included on a list of potential targets.
“The officer said he wouldn’t be at school for a while,” she said. “But after some time passed he was back, walking the halls. They didn’t give us any warning that he was returning to school.”
Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools officials declined to comment on those accounts, only confirming that Betts attended schools in the district.
The discovery of the hit list early in 2012 sparked a police investigation, and roughly one-third of Bellbrook students skipped school out of fear, according to an article in the Dayton Daily News.
It’s not clear what became of that investigation. Chief Michael Brown in Sugarcreek Township, which has jurisdiction over the Bellbrook school, did not return calls Sunday about whether his agency investigated the hit list.
Though Betts, who was 17 at the time, was not named publicly by authorities at the time as the author of the list, the former classmates said it was common knowledge within the school he was the one suspended over the incident.
Drew Gainey was among those who went on social media Sunday to say red flags were raised about Betts’ behavior years ago.
“There was an incident in high school with this shooter that should have prevented him from ever getting his hands on a weapon. This was a tragedy that was 100% avoidable,” he wrote on in a Twitter post on Sunday.
Gainey did not respond to messages from AP seeking further comment, but the name on his account matches that of a former Bellbrook student who was on the track team with Betts.
Former Bellbrook Principal Chris Baker said he “would not dispute that information” when the Daily News asked him Sunday about the hit list suspension. He declined to comment further to the newspaper and the AP was unable to reach him.
Betts had no apparent criminal record as an adult, though if he had been charged as a juvenile that would typically be sealed under state law.
“There’s nothing in this individual’s record that would have precluded him from getting these weapons,” Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl said Sunday.
Not everyone who went to school with Betts had bad things to say. Brad Howard told reporters in Bellbrook on Sunday that he was friends with Betts from preschool through their high school graduation.
“Connor Betts that I knew was a nice kid. The Connor Betts that I talked to, I always got along with well,” Howard said.
Mike Kern, a customer at the gas station where Betts used to work in Bellbrook, said he hasn’t seen Betts in about a year.
“He was the nicest kid you could imagine,” always friendly, Kern said. “I never heard him talk about violence, say a racist word, or anything like that.”
He said they sometimes played trivia at a bar near the gas station, and Betts often knew the answers on questions about current events and pop culture.
“He was real smart,” Kern said. “He knew all the answers.”
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Were Betts' parents informed he had a rape and hit lists?
It seems Betts was a risk for at least the past seven years.
Was Betts referred to a doctor? What medications has Betts been taking or prescribed?
Another related question: It seems the media is now reported that Betts' sister's boyfriend was not killed, but only shot? Is that correct?
So many questions and so little answers.
Was his sister on the list?
>>he was suspended for compiling a “hit list” of those he wanted to kill and a “rape list” of girls he wanted to sexually assault.
tag and release policy apparently. known wolves act like wolves
“””“The officer said he wouldn’t be at school for a while,” she said. “But after some time passed he was back, walking the halls. They didn’t give us any warning that he was returning to school.”
Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools officials declined to comment on those accounts, only confirming that Betts attended schools in the district.
The discovery of the hit list early in 2012 sparked a police investigation, and roughly one-third of Bellbrook students skipped school out of fear, according to an article in the Dayton Daily News.””””
Is Betts another example of our government run schools that do nothing when they encounter a kid with obvious problems?
Looks like we’ve identified where the system broke down in this case, at least based on this story, assuming it is true.
“We cannot stigmatize such a sad young man.”
(I can just hear the bleeding heart fools out there.)
>>Betts had no apparent criminal record as an adult, though if he had been charged as a juvenile that would typically be sealed under state law.
by comparison, a rampage shooter in Arkansas, who killed classmates and a teacher at age 12 was released from prison before age 20. He died in a car wreck last month. didn’t hear what his killing partner is up to these days.
“””Was his sister on the list?”””
Nothing in this news report indicates anything about the sister.
There are hundreds of potential killers going to school with our children and grandchildren.Even known MS-13 gang members attend, without documentation as to how old they really are. Little is done to protect the innocent. The “privacy laws” keep warnings from being issued by those supposedly in charge.
IIRC Betts’ father is a psychologist.
“””Here we go again. The school, everyone around him, and law enforcement knew he was damaged - and did nothing.”””
Yup!!!! This is beginning to look a lot like Nickolas Cruz and his Valentine’s Day killing spree at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas School in Florida.
How many mentally ill boys are on the loose today because our politically correct, government run schools refuse to take action?
Because the school would hide behind privacy laws on advice from their lawyers, I’ll bet.
“He was real smart,” Kern said. “He knew all the answers.”
If Betts was so smart, then what was he doing making burritos at a Chipolte fast food joint?
This says something about the intellectual capacity of Betts’ friends who claim he is so smart.
Political correctness will kill America. The first signs are evident.
Eh, he’s just a “nutcase of peace.” (Remember what George Bush said after 9-11)?
“””IIRC Betts’ father is a psychologist.”””
You have your killers’ fathers confused. The El Paso shooters’ father is the drug and alcohol addicted, new age mental therapist.
Betts father works for an industrial company IIRC.
“””Here we go again. The school, everyone around him, and law enforcement knew he was damaged - and did nothing.”””
Yup!!!! This is beginning to look a lot like Nickolas Cruz and his Valentine’s Day killing spree at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas School in Florida.
How many mentally ill boys are on the loose today because our politically correct, government run schools refuse to take action?
_____________________________
NO ONE TAKES ACTION BECAUSE LEFTIST POLICIES THAT STARTED IN THE SEVENTIES DECIMATED THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. THERE ARE RIGHTS OF THE MENTALLY ILL WHICH ARE LAWS THAT ARE SO STRIGNENT THAT NO ONE CAN BE DETAINED UNLESS THERE IS IMMENENT RISK. IE GUN IN HAND, CUTTING SELF OR OTHERS, DAMAGE HAS TO BE IMMENENT.
NO ONE CAN DO ANYTHING FOR HANDS ARE TIED.
MY THEORY: LEFTISTS ARE USING THESE LAWS TO STRIKE FEAR AND MANIPULATE THE SITUAIONS.
Notice they’re deflecting from his leftist support which was part and parcel of his desire to kill and murder.
Meanwhile you still have an UNATTRIBUTED manifesto that some trolls on 8chan push and the entire media complex and democrats are fundraising and attacking Trump as if the El Paso shootings were caused by “white supremacy” only because the unattributed manifesto said so.
Also don’t forget the Gilroy shootings from last week (also by a leftist) were completely buried within 24 hours.
I would say that just makes him fairly typical of liberal Millennials - they all think they should be Vice Presidents at Apple by age 23, but the talent level just isn't there. :)
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