Uber driver may have taken fares between murders

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WJBK) - The man who police say shot and killed 6 people Saturday night was on duty as an Uber driver and he was taking fares between the murders.

The murders ended at a Cracker Barrel at 10:24. That's where police say Jason Dalton went up to five people in the parking lot and started shooting. 

However, the terrifying night had started almost five hours earlier: around 5:30, police said Dalton shot a woman at an apartment complex. She was seriously injured and is recovering in a nearby hospital.

"We have no understanding of the motive, what prompted the suspect Jason Dalton to commit this horrible acts, and our hearts really go out to the families of the victims who were just out enjoying life,"  Kalamazoo police said.

Five hours later- around 10 p.m. - Dalton pulled up to a car dealership on Stadium Drive, police say, and started shooting at Rich and Tyler Smith. The father and son were killed.

Police said Dalton wasn't done with his random acts of violence. He picked up a rider at some point in the next 25 minutes and then dropped them off at a nearby hotel.

Then police say he went to the parking lot and started shooting randomly. Four people were inside a Chevy Cruze and the fifth was inside an Oldsmobile minivan.

Mary Lou Nye, Mary Jo Nye, Dorothy Brown, and Barbara Hawthorne all died at the scene. A 14-year-old with them was critically injured.

There was at least one warning sign about his apparent erratic behavior: a Facebook user wrote a post complaining about Dalton. The woman urged everyone to stay away from Dalton in her Facebook post.

Uber's Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan released this statement about the murders:

“We are horrified and heartbroken at the senseless violence in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this devastating crime and those recovering from injuries. We have reached out to the police to help with their investigation in any way that we can.”

Police say Dalton did not have a criminal history and Uber says he passed a background check.

Out of respect to the victims, Gov. Rick Snyder has ordered flags on all state buildings to be flown at half staff starting on Monday.