KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The night of February 20, 2016 turned into a nightmare in Kalamazoo when multiple people were shot at locations across the city. In the end, six people died, two others survived, and one Uber driver, Jason Dalton, was arrested, charged, and later admitted to the shooting spree.
It started around 6 p.m. when Dalton opened fire at a group of people, including children, at the Meadows Townhomes on the northeast side of metro Kalamazoo. Only Tianna Carruthers was hit by any bullets. She shielded her daughter and other children during the shooting.
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Then around 10:15 p.m., Richard Smith, 53, and his son Tyler, 17, were killed at the Seeyle Kia dealership. Tyler's girlfriend hid inside a car as the shots from Dalton rang out.
15 minutes later, Dalton targeted a group of women in a vehicle outside the Cracker Barrel on 9th Avenue in Texas Township. Mary Jo Nye, 60, Mary Lou Nye, 62, Dorothy Brown, 74, and Barbara Hawthorne, 68, were all killed. Abby Kopf, 14, was critically wounded, but survived. The teen underwent numerous surgeries to recover from her injuries.
Nearly three years after the shooting, Dalton pleaded guilty on the second day of jury selection to six counts of first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, and an additional eight felony firearm counts.
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He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
