BREAKING: Jason Dalton Receives Maximum Sentence In Kalamazoo Mass Shooting
Video coverage of Tuesday's sentencing from WWMT
Jason Dalton received the mandatory maximum sentence of life in prison without parole Tuesday in a Kalamazoo courtroom. Before the sentencing, he listened to several victim impact statements from family members and other victims from the 2016 shooting spree. Dalton is the convicted killer in a mass shooting in areas of Kalamazoo in 2016 that left six dead and two injured.
On January 7th, Dalton pleaded guilty, as charged, to all sixteen counts against him, including six counts of first-degree premeditated murder. At the sentencing hearing, the prosecution and defense will address the Court regarding his sentence. All victims of Dalton's crimes and their surviving family members will have the opportunity to make victim impact statements.
Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Getting will address the media 30 minutes after the conclusion of the sentencing hearing. Members of law enforcement, victims, and their families are invited to join him for this media briefing. The briefing will take place on the south steps of the Kalamazoo County Courthouse.
Dalton was arrested February 20th, 2016, following three separate incidents across Kalamazoo County while working as an Uber driver. The first incident took place in Richland Township, where Tiana Carruthers sustained multiple gunshot injuries while protecting children in an apartment complex.
The second incident took the lives of Richard and Tyler Smith of Mattawan in the parking lot of a car dealership along Stadium Drive.
The final shooting occurred at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Oshtemo Township where 62-year-old Mary Lou Nye of Baroda, along with 74-year-old Judy Brown, 68-year-old Barbara Hawthorne and 60-year-old Mary Jo Nye of Battle Creek were killed. 14-year-old Abigail Kopf of Battle Creek sustained critical injuries.