Dayton police Sgt. Matthew Dickey said Mills was hit once in the leg and once in the torso. Police believe he was at the bus stop at the time of the robbery. As the incident unfolded, police said, Mills made his way to the rear of 165 Victor Ave., where he collapsed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mills’ death marked the 10th homicide of the year in Dayton. There were 14 homicides through the same time period last year, according to Dayton crime statistics.
There were a total of 35 homicides in Dayton last year and 32 in 2010.
Allen Cannon, who lives on Victor Avenue, told the Dayton Daily News he was downtown at the Urban Nights street festival when his girlfriend called him with the news there was a shooting outside of their house.
“By the time I got here, they already had the tape up and it was a crime scene,” Cannon said.
Police said around the time of the shooting, a group of people were searching the area for missing juveniles who reportedly left a nearby house without permission. While looking, the group found Mills’ body and then called police.
The juveniles were later returned home safely.
Neighbors on Saturday told police they saw two suspects approach Mills, but were able to provide police with only vague descriptions. Officers initially believed the suspects may have fled into a nearby apartment building on Victor. Lt. Kenneth Beall said police searched the building, but could not locate the suspects.
Cannon, who has rented his residence on Victor for less than a year, said he was still in “shock.”
“Bullets don’t have eyes,” he said. “I was just unnerved about the whole situation.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6983 or andrew.sedlak@ coxinc.com.
About the Author