“After the mass shooting in the Oregon District, there was a cry from our community for action,” said Jana Collier, Cox Media Group Ohio vice president of content. “As lawmakers and others seek to ‘do something’ in their arenas, we believe the media needs to take the lead in the conversation. Cox Media Group Ohio is that leader. We’ve pulled together a panel that represents multiple points of view, and we believe this forum will help our community as well as our nation find solutions to this senseless violence.”
RELATED: DeWine calls on lawmakers to pass background checks, red flag laws
Other guests include Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl, trauma and emergency physician Dr. Randy Marriott, YWCA Dayton Chief Executive Shannon Isom, Oregon District tavern Blind Bob’s manager Andy Rowe and Dr. Randy Welton, a mental health expert from Wright State University. Rev. Peter Matthews of McKinley United Methodist Church also will join the discussion.
On Aug. 4, a 24-year-old Bellbrook man carrying an adapted semi-automatic weapon with more than 100 rounds of ammunition opened fire on the Oregon District, killing nine people and injuring 27.
Killed in the rampage were: Lois Oglesby, Nicholas Cumer, Logan Turner, Thomas McNichols, Derrick Fudge, Monica Brickhouse, Saeed Saleh and Beatrice Warren-Curtis and Megan Betts, the shooter’s sister.
Dayton police on routine patrol are credited with stopping the man before he could murder and injure more.
RELATED: DeWine rolls out plan for stronger background check system
The shooting prompted President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to visit shooting victims in Dayton and meet with Whaley, DeWine and others. It also led comedian Dave Chappelle to host a massive block party with a star-studded line-up of entertainers.
Following the shooting, Daytonians shouted “Do Something” at DeWine during a candlelight vigil in the Oregon District.
The governor responded with a 17-point plan for bolstering mental health treatment, increasing access to psychiatric beds in state hospitals, operating a tip line for school safety, expanding background checks to all gun purchases and adopting a “red flag” law that allows police or family to get a court order to temporarily seize weapons from someone who appears to be a danger to themselves or others.
Last week, DeWine outlined plans to improve the existing gun background check system. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will be in charge of developing a system to more easily upload Ohio data into the national background check system so that people ineligible to purchase guns aren’t able to pass a background check.
Between 2007 and 2019, more than 16,374 people in Ohio died by firearms — including 60 percent by suicide, according to state Department of Health data. In that time, firearms fatalities have increased 39.4 percent.
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