3:00 a.m.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety held a news conference at 7 a.m. Sunday to update the public on the shooting spree in Kalamazoo.

Six people are dead, two others are in critical condition after shootings at three locations in Kalamazoo County.

Watch the news conference in the video above.

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PREVIOUSLY:

6:30 a.m.

KDPS says that a suspect is in custody, and that there is no danger to the public at this time. A news conference is scheduled for 7:00 a.m.

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2:30 a.m.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Michigan State Police confirmed to Newschannel 3 just after 2:30 a.m., that a fifth victim reported shot at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Texas Township has died.

The situation began around 6 p.m., at Meadows Townhomes, off G Avenue, near Comstock.

A woman was shot several times outside her home, and the suspect took off, eventually crashing his vehicle.

Hours later, around 10:15 p.m., two people--a father and son--were shot and killed in at Seelye Ford Kia, in Kalamazoo.

Around 15 minutes later, the suspect opened fire at the Cracker Barrel, killing four people and critically injuring one, before again fleeing the scene.

At approximately 1 a.m., Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety confirmed that "a strong suspect" was in custody.

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1:00 a.m.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley confirms that "a strong suspect" is in custody in this case.

From witness statements after the Seelye shooting, plus surveillance video, police were able to get a good description of the suspect.

Police located that suspect in the area of Ransom and Porter, in the Central City area of downtown Kalamazoo, and took him into custody without incident.

The suspect is currently being interviewed by police, who tell us they are sure they have their man.

Newschannel 3 is continuing to learn more information, and we will update as the situation develops.

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KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Initial reports of a fourth scene at West OP Avenue and 6th Street were not related. Police also believed that the suspect had been tracked to the area of Aquaview Drive, in Kalamazoo, but shortly after arrival, police pulled back from the scene.

Newschannel 3 is working to get the latest word from police as the situation continues to develop.

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KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Police are searching for a gunman who appears to be shooting people at random in Kalamazoo County. At this hour we've confirmed six people are dead and several others shot. At least four of those fatalities are at the Cracker Barrel in Texas Township and two of them at Seelye Ford on Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo.

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office says the suspect is a white man, in his 50s. He is believed to be driving in a blue Chevy HHR.

Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas told us that this may be connected to a shooting earlier Saturday night at the Meadows Townhomes off G Avenue where a woman was shot multiple times. She is in the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

We have multiple crews at several crime scenes around Kalamazoo County. Stay with NEWSCHANNEL 3 for developments as they come in.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — The man suspected of shooting eight people in the Kalamazoo area, killing six, was an Uber driver who was apparently taking fares in between opening fire at various locations, police tell 24 Hour News 8.

Authorities are investigating reports that Jason Dalton dropped off a group of people at a Fairfield Inn Marriott in Texas Township, then went next door to the Cracker Barrel and allegedly opened fired on two vehicles, killing four people.

A woman at the hotel said she heard about 10 shots, then ran outside and saw the suspect driving away from the Cracker Barrel at a normal rate of speed.

Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeffrey Getting confirmed that authorities are looking to a Facebook post by some apparent Uber passengers who were in Dalton’s vehicle when he was allegedly involved in a sideswipe hit-and-run crash, ran at least one stop sign, and was driving erratically just before the shootings.

People at the hotel said the passengers dropped off there were interviewed by police.

After combing state records, 24 Hour News 8 found Dalton, 45, does not have a criminal history in Michigan or Indiana.

As of Sunday morning, little more was known about Dalton, who police say chose his victims at random.

Investigators were at his home on Douglas Avenue, northwest of Kalamazoo, searching for evidence.


Detectives believe Dalton shot eight people outside a townhouse, restaurant and vehicle dealership in Kalamazoo County, killing four women, a father and his 18-year-old son.

A 14-year-old girl was in grave condition Sunday morning; a woman shot several times was severely injured but expected to survive, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeffrey Getting said.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Newschannel 3 continues to learn disturbing details about what was going on in the mind of suspected shooter Jason Dalton. Dalton is accused of killing six people and injuring two others in a shooting rampage through Kalamazoo. According to police reports issued through the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) on Monday, Dalton tells investigators his Uber app was controlling him.

Monday Newschannel 3 also heard from Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting, and got his thoughts on the case. "I don't know that there could ever be an acceptable explanation," he said. "Certainly not one that makes sense."

Getting says he doesn't ever remember being this angry about a case. He says he's had to struggle with how someone could do this to his community.

According to details in the police investigation reports, Dalton tells police his actions were the result of the Uber app controlling him. Dalton told investigators the app made him feel like a puppet. The report said quote "Dalton explained that when the symbol turns to black, it literally has control over you."

The reports states that symbol was the Eastern Star and a devil head. In the report, Dalton told investigators that when the devil popped up on his screen, that's when the problems started. Quote "Dalton described the devil figure as a horned cow head or something like that and then it would give you an assignment and it would literally take over your whole body."

"This is something that happened because he wanted it to happen," Getting said. "Beyond that, I'm not sure we'll ever get a good enough explanation."

Getting goes on to say he's never seen a case like this in terms of community impact. He says the support this community and victims have felt since the shootings has been incredible to witness. That support and that love will hopefully overpower any disturbing explanations that come forth.

Dalton is undergoing a competency evaluation to see if he is mentally fit to stand trial. Getting says he and his team are ready whatever the results. He says they would be ready for trial today if they had to. Getting also says he has personally met with all of the shooting victims. He says they were all told about the FOIA release, so they could be prepared.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — The man accused of shooting eight people in the Kalamazoo area last month, killing six of them, has filed a federal lawsuit against Uber, saying the ride-hailing app “ruined” his life and is the reason he’s behind bars.

In a handwritten note, Jason Dalton demands “$10 million dollars in punitive damages and emotional distress” from Uber Technologies, Inc.

“I am currently in prison because of Uber,” the note reads in part. “My life is ruined because of Uber. My wife is divorcing me because of Uber … I have psychological damage because of Uber.”

In his suit, Dalton claims he worked for years as a contracted driver for Uber, though the company has said he was approved to drive only in late January. He apparently picked up Uber fares between shootings at three Kalamazoo-area locations on Feb. 20, but didn’t hurt any of his passengers.

Dalton’s suit was mailed to U.S. District Court in Detroit from the Kalamazoo County Jail on Friday and filed Tuesday. In it, Dalton says he was mistreated by Uber, that the company “ripped me off, never paid me back wages or overtime,” and didn’t give him a Christmas bonus or invite him to “corporate parties.”

“I busted my butt for them,” Dalton says in the suit. “They made me work when I was sick and didn’t let me spend time with my 2 children. Uber treats their drivers like crap.”

Dalton complains he had to pay his own gas and that Uber wouldn’t fix his car when it was damaged by potholes. He alleges Uber would call him late at night and “make me work or say I was fired.”

“This company is a hostile workplace environment. I am tired of being treated [like] a 2nd class citizen by Uber,” the note continues. “Uber doesn’t care about its drivers. We are peasants and pawn pieces to Uber’s bottom line.”

Uber doesn’t set its drivers’ schedules; drivers decide for themselves when and how long to work. The company touts that as being one appeal of being a driver, saying on its website, “You’ll never have to choose between earning a living and living a life.”

According to police reports released to 24 Hour News 8 on Monday, Dalton told the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety that he started shooting after a “devil” in his Uber app took over his body.

He said he “recognized the Uber symbol as being that of the Eastern Star and a devil head popped up on his screen and when he pressed the button on the app, that is when all the problems started,” police in wrote in a report. Dalton said that figure was a “horned cow head or something like that and then it would give you an assignment and it would literally take over your whole body.”

Dalton also told KDPS his memory of the shootings was spotty. According to the reports, he said he didn’t remember killing Rich Smith and his son Tyler at a Kalamazoo car dealership and that he couldn’t remember actually pulling the trigger at the Cracker Barrel in Texas Township — the bloodiest of the spree’s three scenes — though he did remember hearing the “pop, pop, pop of the gun.”

Dalton became an Uber driver to make money to take his family on vacation to Disney World, his wife’s attorney has said. Uber says Dalton passed a background check before he became a diver. He does not have a criminal history or history of mental health problems. Uber says it did not receive complaints against him prior to Feb. 20.

Dalton is undergoing a mental evaluation to determine if he is fit to stand trial.

KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The Kalamazoo County Undersheriff says that a lawsuit allegedly filed by accused mass murderer Jason Dalton is a hoax.

The alleged suit asked for $10-million against Uber, claiming the company caused him emotional distress.

The Kalamazoo County Undersheriff tells us that Dalton did not send the suit and does not know who sent it. They have confirmed that the handwriting is not his and the postmark on the lawsuit was from Philadelphia.

preferably in the nutsack