Two Ex-Girlfriends: Accused Dayton Shooter Described Himself as ‘Mentally Ill’

Two women who said they dated accused Dayton gunman Connor Betts spoke out late Monday, alleging that he described himself as mentally ill and often had violent thoughts about himself and other people.

Early Sunday morning, authorities said Betts, 24, opened fire on a crowded Dayton street lined with bars and restaurants. He killed nine people, including his sister, and injured 26 others.

“He would cry to me sometimes saying how he’s afraid of himself and afraid he was going to hurt someone one day,” Lyndsi Doll, who dated Betts in high school, told the Washington Post.

Adelia Johnson said the two dated this past spring after bonding in a college psychology class over their shared struggle with mental illness. On their first date, she said, he showed her video from a mass shooting at a synagogue and often brought up mass murders. Johnson also wrote on Medium that Betts had “inappropriate” thoughts and once told her he “wanted to hurt a lot of people,” as she put it. “This is a man who was in pain and didn't get the help that he needed,” Johnson told NBC News. The two women said they ended their relationships with Betts because he was too aggressive.