Gunman at Ohio Walmart Shooting May Have Been Motivated by Racist Ideology, FBI Says

Published on November 23, 2023

By [Author Name]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Wednesday that the recent shooting incident at a Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio, which left four people injured, was potentially motivated by violent and racist ideology.

Identified as twenty-year-old Benjamin Charles Jones, the shooter took his own life after opening fire with a carbine at the Walmart premises around 8:30 p.m. on Monday. The authorities have confirmed that Jones, a white individual, was responsible for the attack.

According to the FBI, the victims of the shooting included a white man, a white woman, and two Black women. Miraculously, all of them survived the ordeal. The bureau has emphasized that Jones, the assailant, was also white.

In a joint statement, the FBI and Beavercreek police expressed their belief that the attack may have been partly influenced by racially motivated violent extremist (RMVE) ideology, based on evidence collected, including journal writings by Benjamin Charles Jones.

The statement further mentioned that the FBI will continue to investigate the underlying factors that led to this attack, shedding light on the motivations and mindset of the shooter.

The weapon used by Jones in the shooting was a .45-caliber Hi-Point carbine, equipped with a nine-round magazine, as stated by the authorities.

It was revealed that Jones had purchased the firearm just two days prior to the incident, on Saturday, from a store in the Dayton area. The FBI and police confirmed this information in their official statement.

Beavercreek, a city located east of Dayton, with a population of approximately 46,000, was the unfortunate site of this tragic event.