Dayton police investigate 6 shootings in less than 24 hours

Dayton police closed off two blocks of Manhattan Ave. Friday morning after a fatal shooting. MARSHALL GORBYSTAFF

Dayton police closed off two blocks of Manhattan Ave. Friday morning after a fatal shooting. MARSHALL GORBYSTAFF

Dayton police responded to six shootings — two of which were fatal — within a 24-hour period.

The incidents spanned from Thursday night to Friday morning, and police are continuing to investigate all of them.

The first shooting police investigated took place on the 400 block of Bowen Avenue on Thursday night. Authorities say Phillip Wolliver-Blythe, 47, of Dayton, was shot and killed.

Man dead in Friday morning shooting in Dayton

Dispatch records said that officers were dispatched to that location at 7:41 p.m. after receiving reports of a male who was shot and on the ground. Initial police scanner traffic indicated multiple callers were reporting the shooting.

No one had been arrested in connection to the shooting by Friday afternoon.

Dayton Police then opened a different investigation a few hours later when a person was dropped off at Grandview Hospital with a gunshot wound, according to Montgomery County Regional Dispatch records.

Officers began investigating in the 2100 block of North Gettysburg Avenue, and no other details about the shooting were released.

Dayton police then investigated a flurry of shootings that took place within hours from each other Friday morning that included another homicide.

The homicide happened at about 7 a.m. on Manhattan Avenue near Salem Avenue. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office was on the scene at about 8:30 a.m., and the man fatally shot remained in the front yard, under a sheet. The identity of the victim wasn’t released Friday.

Officers cordoned off two to three blocks of Manhattan in the area of Richmond, Bellevue and Redfern while they investigated.

Court case to resume for I-75 wrong-way driver in Mason family deaths

Lt. Matt Beavers of the Dayton Police Department said callers said about 7 a.m. that multiple shots were fired in the 800 and 900 blocks of Manhattan.

Callers said they thought two to four people were involved, all men believed to be about 18 to 25 and arguing.

Homicide crews and officers from the Violent Offenders Unit worked the scene, as did a police dog unit.

Detectives and uniformed officers went door-to-door seeking witnesses and any type of video footage, Beavers said.

Technicians recovered and examined multiple pieces of evidence in both blocks. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Dayton tips line 937-333-COPS.

A second shooting happened on North Main Street around the same time. Officers are unsure if those two shootings are connected, but officials at the scenes said they are looking into the possibility because of the close proximity of the two incidents.

Officers also responded to a shooting at a Huffman Avenue home around the same time. A person was booked into the Montgomery County Jail in connection to the case, but no formal charges have been filed at this time.

Dayton Police also made another shooting arrest Friday in connection to a shooting in the 600 block of West Riverview Avenue in Dayton that took place just a couple hours later.

One person was taken into custody in connection to the shooting after a police chase ended on I-675 north near Indian Ripple Road.

The victim was taken to Miami Valley Hospital and rushed into surgery, according to Dayton police. The victim’s condition wasn’t available Friday afternoon.

Homicide detectives responded to West Riverview Avenue, which is standard procedure for life-threatening events. The suspect in the shooting fled toward Edwin C. Moses Boulevard, authorities said, prompting a police chase.

Stop sticks were used during the chase, but the suspect missed them.

George Floyd protests erupt in Columbus: What we know now

Dayton police, Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers and Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies were involved in the chase.

About the Author