Ohio mass shooter Benjamin Jones spouts white supremacist conspiracy theories and has been hospitalized for mental health evaluations three times in the past two years, sources told The Post.
Jones, 20 – who turned a Hi-Point .45-caliber carbine long gun on himself after opening fire at a Walmart in Beavercreek, near Dayton, on Monday, wounding four shoppers – also never attended public school, and hangs a Nazi flag on the wall behind his bed, according to sources.
“There were warning signs and red flags,” the source told The Post the day after the shooting, when the first photos of the suspect emerged, showing him sporting long, bushy brown locks and matted facial hair.
“He talks about right-wing conspiracy theories, that the Holocaust didn’t happen, 9/11 didn’t happen; he started talking about white supremacy.”
A man and three women – one of whom remains in critical condition – were injured in the shooting, which happened a day after a murder-suicide in the parking lot of an Alaska Walmart.
Ohio Walmart shooter Ben Jones, 20, wounded four people in the shooting.
Jones killed himself before he could be caught, and his motive is unclear. However, the source, who is close to him, paints a portrait of a troubled youth who “doesn’t hang out” and only attends an online Christian school.
“He has been to the hospital three times in the last two years for a 72-hour mental evaluation. His mother had him admitted [the hospital] once, then he turned himself in,” the insider said, adding that Jones lives with his mother.
“We thought that would be a red flag to the authorities, no one thought he could get a gun, but he talked about getting one.”
It is unclear how Jones obtained his firearm.
Under federal law, anyone involuntarily committed to a mental institution is prohibited from purchasing a firearm.
Jones turned a Hi-Point .45 caliber carbine long gun on himself after the shooting at the Beavercreek Walmart. Acquired by NY Post
Beavercreek police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how Jones obtained the weapon. Jones’ mother and brother also did not respond to The Post’s requests.
“Another time he went to a concert and had an argument with his girlfriend. He crashed his car on the way home and was put in the ICU, I think in Virginia, when he got out, he asked to go to another mental health evaluation,” they added.
“He was very religious, he could quote the Bible. His mother did not want him to go to public school. He never went to school his whole life, he only did Christian online schooling,” the source said.
“He doesn’t socialize, he spends all his time at home. I don’t think he can handle conflict, girlfriends, breakups and everything.”
The 20-year-old mass shooter spouted white supremacist conspiracy theories and was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation, sources said. Beavercreek PD
The source also said they had heard the minor had been drinking heavily recently, including pre-made BuzzBallz cocktails, which have 15% alcohol content. By comparison, the “average” US alcoholic beverage has about 5% alcohol.
They also said he had talked about moving to Las Vegas, where his father lives and where he lived before he moved to Dayton.
Although it was clear that Jones planned to commit mass murder before taking his own life, the young man was remembered by the source.
“He’s a good man, he’s broken a lot of people’s hearts, but there are signs to see.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
