Facebook/Moira Cofer Betts
Megan Betts, the sister of Connor Betts, was one of her brother’s victims, authorities have confirmed. Connor Betts killed nine people at Ned Peppers bar in Dayton, Ohio, on August 3. Megan was one of those who was shot dead. She was 22 and the youngest of the nine people killed.
Contrary to earlier reports, Megan was not the first person who was killed but was one of the initial victims, Police Chief Richard Biehl said Sunday at a press conference. Megan arrived at Ned Peppers bar with her brother, as well as Megan’s companion, but “separated” at some point.
NBC News’ Pete Williams reported, via, Andrew Blankstein, that Megan and her boyfriend had been found fatally shot in a car. Officials have rejected that report and have said the Megan was found in a similar location to the other victims. Officials said that Megan’s “companion” was among the wounded but was not killed. He has been interviewed by police.
The others who have lost their lives have been named as, Lois Loglesby, 27, Saeed Saleh, 38, Derrick Fudge, 57, Logan Turner, 30, Nicholas Cumer, 25, Thomas McNichols, 25, Beatrice Warren-Curtis, 36 and Monica Brickhouse, 39. Six of the nine victims were African-American and three were white but police say there are no indiciations so far that bias played a role in the shooting.
Authorities believe that Connor Betts opened fire on a crowd at a bar in Dayton’s Oregon District, killing nine people and wounding dozens more. Connor Betts was then shot dead by responding officers, officials said. In a press conference, authorities said that the suspect was wearing body armor and extra ammunition on him at the time he was killed.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Megan & Connor Betts Are the Only 2 Children of Stephen & Moira Betts
Facebook/Megan BettsMegan and her brother pictured together in May 2017.
Connor and Megan are the only two children of Stephen and Moira Betts of Bellbrook, Ohio, located around 15 miles south of downtown Dayton. Stephen and Moira Betts were married in December 1988, according to Stephen Betts’ Facebook page. Stephen Betts works as the technical lead for a technologies company.
Less than 24 hours after the shooting, police served a search warrant in Bellbrook. A neighbor of the family told the Associated Press that he would regularly see the suspect mowing the lawn or walking the family dog. That neighbor, Stephen Cournoyer, said, “The Connor Betts that I knew was a nice kid.” Police Chief Richard Biehl said during a press conference that investigators have had contact with Stephen and Moira Betts.
2. Megan Was About to Enter Her Senior Year at Wright State University’s Department of Biological Sciences
LinkedIn/Megan BettsMegan Betts pictured on her LinkedIn page.
According to Megan’s Facebook page, she worked as a tour guide at the Missoula Smokejumper Visitor Center in Montana. On that page, Megan says that she was due to begin her senior year at Wright State University’s Department of Biological Sciences in Dayton in the fall of 2019. A Wright State spokesperson said that Megan was the only student or employee involved in the shooting, according to WLWT’s Dan Griffin.
A co-worker of Megan’s told Heavy.com that she had worked at the smokejumper visitor center from May until June 30 of this year. That co-worker said that Megan had been working in Montana as part of a college requirement. Megan’s supervisor at the center, Daniel Cottrell, told the Washington Post that Megan was a “very positive person.” He added, “We really enjoyed the time that she spent working her for us. She was full of life and really passionate. She was a very caring individual.” Cottrell also said that when Megan left, her mother drove her home. He went on to say that although she was close with her family, Megan did not speak about her brother.
On her LinkedIn page, Megan said of herself, “I’m a hardworking employee who understands company loyalty and the need to do the best for our customers. Always tries to find a way to make sure everyone’s happy. An expert with time management and very organized.” Megan graduated from Bellbrook High School in 2015, the same school that her brother attended. Online voting records show that Megan was registered with the Democratic Party in Greene County, Ohio.
3. Megan Betts Has Been Celebrated as a ‘Sweetheart’ & ‘Strange in a Very Good Way’
Facebook/Megan Betts
One of Megan’s high school classmates told WLWT’s Dan Griffin that the slain college student was a “sweetheart, very funny… She was strange in a very good way.”
The Dayton Daily News reports that Wright State provost Sue Edwards has informed staff and students via email that Megan had been killed. The email read, via the Daily News, “Our heart goes out to all those impacted by the horrific event that occurred earlier this morning in Dayton. The quick action of the Dayton Police Department brought and end to something that most assuredly could have been much worse. We are offering our full support and assistance however it might be needed.”
4. Megan Betts’ Mother Regularly Posted Photos Showing Her Love for Her Children
Facebook/Moira Cofer Betts
Moira Cofer Betts would regularly post photos showing her love for her children. The above photo was taken on St. Patrick’s Day in 2018 and showed Moira with her children at the Dublin Pub, located a few minutes walk from Ned Peppers’ bar, where her son and daughter both died on August 4. In one photo she posted of her children in April 2017, Moira wrote in the caption, “My loves. So proud to be their mom.”
Facebook/Moira Cofer Betts
In this above photo of her two children, Moira wrote in the caption, “This may be my most favorite picture ever! ❤️.” On her birthday in May 2017, Moira posted, “Parenting win-This year both my kids wrote me birthday cards that made me cry. ?” While another post from June 2018 where Moira tagged her daughter, Moira wrote, “My house is an awful lot like a service station- people are always going in and out, we never close, lights are always on and someone is always standing in front of the refrigerator looking for food. ?.”
5. A Vigil Was Held for the Victims of the Shooting at Levitt Pavilion on August 4
GettyPeople gather for a vigil for the victims of the Ned Peppers bar shooting.
A prayer vigil was held for the victims of the shooting at Levitt Pavilion in Dave Hall Plaza on the evening of August 4. A post on the Levitt Pavilion Dayton’s Facebook page described the event as “an informal prayer gathering on our lawn at 1 p.m.”
Speaking to a group of people at a separate vigil, Rev. Raleigh Thornton Jr. told a group, “We can’t have retaliation after retaliation. We’re just going to keep losing kids. We don’t need that in this community. We’ve had enough death. It has to stop somewhere.”
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