2 deadly Dayton shootings, 100 feet apart: ‘We need to come together’

Dayton police investigate the second fatal shooting on the same block within hours of each other Thursday morning.

Dayton police investigate the second fatal shooting on the same block within hours of each other Thursday morning.

Two fatal shootings that took place within hours and about 100 feet of each other were reported to Dayton police Thursday morning, prompting officials to ask the public for help solving the homicides.

Dayton Police Sgt. Creigee Coleman said homicide detectives are investigating whether the two shootings are related, but at this time it appears the shootings were the result of separate arguments.

Brandon Harris, 34, was identified by the Montgomery County Coroner’s office as the first victim. He was shot around 3 a.m. Thursday outside Rick’s Jazz Lab at 1832 Lakeview Avenue, police said.

A second man — who wasn’t identified — was also shot and taken to Miami Valley Medical Center. He was listed as in critical condition, police said.

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This wasn’t the first fatal shooting at the jazz club. In April 2018, a man and woman were shot and killed there. James Davison was convicted in October of the killings.

Multiple phone calls to the club by the Dayton Daily News went unanswered Thursday.

The second incident Thursday took the life of 33-year-old Clarence Brown, the coroner’s office said. That shooting happened around 10:30 a.m. outside Germantown Save Food Supermarket, according to police.

Witnesses told authorities they heard four or five shots and a person flee the scene, Coleman said.

Nicole Miller was one of those witnesses. She said she was across the street when she heard gunshots.

“I’m looking more at the gun because he’s holding the gun, just running,” she said. “He could have took the fire out on me, took fire on the witnesses that seen this.”

Brown was shot in the upper torso, Coleman said. He said police and fire officials did everything they could to save the man’s life, but he ultimately died of his injuries.

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Coleman said the slayings are becoming too commonplace here.

“We need to come together. People need to understand this gun violence needs to stop,” he said.

He also called for residents with information about the shootings to alert police.

“We need the public to come forward,” Coleman said. “We need the public to come forward and let us know what happened in both of these incidents so we know exactly who the perpetrators are.”

He said the families deserve closure, and the only way that is going to happen is through the justice system.

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