Where is Jason Dalton Now? Background & 2023 Update

In a harrowing episode that shocked the community of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Jason Dalton, an Uber driver, embarked on a senseless shooting spree on February 20, 2016. This rampage resulted in the tragic loss of six lives and left two others grievously injured.

Personal Background

Jason Brian Dalton was born on June 22, 1970. He grew up in Greenfield, Indiana, and later moved to Michigan, where he attended Comstock High School. Dalton pursued an associate degree in law enforcement from Kalamazoo Valley Community College but did not enroll in the police academy.

Dalton married in 1995, with the couple having two children. He was generally perceived as a “good family man,” although reports surfaced of him exhibiting depressed and paranoid behavior shortly before the shootings. Dalton’s career included stints as a mechanic and an insurance adjuster, and he occasionally worked as an Uber driver.

The Day of the Shooting

On the day of the tragedy, Dalton visited gun stores, acquiring a jacket designed to conceal a handgun. He started his Uber shift in the afternoon. The first sign of trouble emerged when passenger Matt Mellen experienced Dalton’s erratic driving, leading Mellen to escape and alert authorities.

Dalton’s spree encompassed three locations. The first incident occurred at an apartment complex in Richland Township, where he shot Tiana Carruthers multiple times. Remarkably, Carruthers survived, shielding her daughter and other children from the gunfire. Dalton then proceeded to the Seelye Kia car dealership, where he murdered Richard and Tyler Smith. The final shooting took place at a Cracker Barrel parking lot, claiming the lives of Mary Jo Nye, Mary Lou Nye, Dorothy Brown, and Barbara Hawthorne. Abigail Kopf, a teenager, was critically injured but survived.

Dalton was arrested early on February 21. In a bizarre twist, he claimed the Uber app compelled him to commit the murders, an assertion later dismissed in court.

Arrest and Trial

Dalton was arrested in the early hours of February 21. He bizarrely claimed the Uber app controlled his actions, a claim dismissed in court. He faced multiple charges, including six counts of murder. Despite initial plans for an insanity defense, Dalton pleaded guilty to all charges on January 7, 2019. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Legal Aftermath and Community Impact

The shootings left Kalamazoo grappling with grief and shock. The community rallied under “Kalamazoo Strong,” promoting unity and healing.

The case raised questions about Uber’s safety protocols. Matt Mellen’s lawsuit against Uber, filed in 2021, highlighted the alleged absence of an effective incident response team, which he believed could have prevented Dalton’s continued access to the Uber platform during his spree.

Current Status

As of 2023, Dalton remains incarcerated, having transferred to the high-security Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility near Muskegon, Michigan.

More 20/20: The Deadly Ride

• “The Deadly Ride”: ’20/20′ Reports on Jason Dalton Kalamazoo Uber Shootings December 22 2023

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