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Uber Driver Kills 6, Wounds 2 in Kalamazoo

By Christopher Coble, Esq. on February 22, 2016 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

An Uber driver who allegedly went on a deadly shooting spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan Saturday night will be arraigned on criminal charges today. Prosecutors believe Jason Brian Dalton killed six people and wounded two others in a series of random attacks, some of which may have been committed in between paid fares.

Dalton will likely face murder, assault, and firearms charges, and the details of his deadly night are horrifying.

"Because They Were Available"

The most chilling aspect of Dalton's murder spree was his method, or lack thereof, of choosing his targets. The victims "appear to be chosen at random," said Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Getting, "because they were available." Getting also noted the extent of the gunfire: "They were shot multiple times, multiple - nine, 10, 11 shell casings at each of these scenes."

A rough timeline has emerged of Dalton's crimes:

  • At about 5:30 p.m., Dalton shot and wounded woman outside of an apartment building;
  • About 10:00 p.m., Dalton shot and killed a father and son at a car dealership; and
  • About 15 minutes later, Dalton shot and killed four women and wounded another outside a restaurant.

Dalton was arrested around 12:40 a.m. Sunday morning while driving away from a bar parking lot.

Deadly Driver

Those aren't the only frightening elements of Dalton's rampage. Originally, authorities reported seven deaths. That number changed to six when a teenage girl, thought to be dead, was being readied for organ harvesting when she reached out and grasped the hand of one of her parents.

And Dalton may have been on the clock while committing his crimes. One man told CNN Dalton picked him up just before the shootings and began driving erratically after receiving a phone call. "We were kind of driving through medians, driving through the lawn speeding along and then finally, once he came to a stop, I jumped out of the car and ran away." Dalton may have also been looking for fares after the killings.

As of now, police say they have no motive for the slayings. Uber confirmed that Dalton was a company driver and passed background checks. He had no prior criminal history.

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