Photo: Courtesy of family; Donna Johnson
Around 1 a.m. on Sunday, August 4, 2019, a man entered the popular nightlife neighborhood carrying a rifle and opened fire at people outside of Ned Peppers Bar.
Below is a list of the victims who lost their lives as a result of the Dayton mass shooting two years ago.
Logan Turner, 30
On the day of the shooting, the Turners planned to celebrate Logan’s 30th birthday — his grandmother had baked his favorite German Chocolate cake for the occasion.
A former high school varsity football player, Turner loved fixing cars and worked as a machinist, his family members said. On the night he died, he was out with a friend he has known since kindergarten, who got shot in the arm.
His aunt, Susan Scherbauer, described him as a “wonderful, caring person.”
“He had a good job. He had his own home. He had just met a girl he was so happy about. You could just see it on his face.”
Thomas McNichols, 25
Thomas McNichols.Donna Johnson
McNichols was a beloved father of four who was known as a “gentle giant” and a “loving young man,” his aunt Donna Johnson told PEOPLE.
McNichols, who worked in a factory, loved playing Fortnite with his nephews and son and enjoyed Marvel movies.
“Whenever a Marvel movie came out, he’d take his kids and nephews to the movies. Just a loving father and a loving family man,” Johnson said.
McNichols attended Resurrection Baptist Church in Dayton and had begun to get his GED.
Nicholas Cumer, 25
Cumer was a graduate student at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania in the Master of Cancer Care program, according toa press release from the school.
He was in Dayton as part of his internship program with the Maple Tree Cancer Alliance. The week before his death, Maple Tree offered him a full-time position to run one of their new offices,according to Maple Tree’s Facebook page.
The Saint Francis release said Cumer “was dedicated to caring for others. He was recognized at the 2019 Community Engagement Awards among students who had completed 100+ hours of service. In addition, he was a graduate assistant with the university marching band.”
Her friend Derasha Merrett told theDayton Daily Newsthat she received a horrific phone call at 3 a.m. from a mutual friend telling her Lois was dead.
“We grew up in the same church, on the same drill team. She works at my kids' daycare,” Merrett said. “We all grew up in this little town. We’re all family.”
Megan Betts, 22
Betts was a student at Wright State University studying earth and environmental sciences, according toher student profile.
Accordingto her LinkedIn page, she had recently spent time as a tour guide at the Missoula Smokejumper Visitor Center in Montana, which is dedicated to forest preservation and fire prevention.
“We really enjoyed the time that she spent working here for us. She was full of life and really passionate,” Cottrell said. “She was a very caring individual.”
Derrick Fudge, 57
Fudge’s son, Dion Green, told PEOPLE, “He was a great father,” and added, “Everybody who knows him, they can’t say nothing bad about him.”
His younger sister, Twyla Southall, told PEOPLE that Fudge loved fishing and cooking, and was planning to paint his granddaughter’s bedroom for her 11th birthday.
Every chance he could, Southall said, he spent time with his son.
He died in his son’s arms.
Monica Brickhouse, 39
Brickhouse lived in Virginia Beach, Va., and traveled with friend Beatrice Warren-Curtis to Ohio. Warren-Curtis was also killed in the attack.
She ran a design, event planning and catering company called Two Good Girls,according to her Facebook page. Her LinkedIn says she was also a Recovery Specialist with Anthem in Norfolk, Va.
TheDayton Daily Newsreports that Brittany Hart, a friend of Brickhouse’s, wrote on Facebook, “This just can’t be real,” and described Brickhouse as “like another aunt to me.”
“To lose a loved one to senseless violence is just unfair, especially since it could be preventable!!” Hart wrote. “I am so sorry this has happened to you all!”
Beatrice “Nicole” Warren-Curtis, 36
After the shootings, friends of Warren-Curtis posted about her untimely death on Facebook. One friend and colleague namedTonya Amos wrote, “I was devastated this morning when I got the news and still don’t feel like I have a heartbeat inside of me. Nicole Curtis and Monica Storey Brickhouse were like two of my work daughters.”
“I had the opportunity to manage and mentor them for some years,” Amos continued. “We sat beside each other everyday. We have laughed and cried together. Shared life stories and supported each other. These two ladies were very special to me. I’m sad and mad and [sic] this senseless loss.”
Saeed Saleh, 38
Saleh was a recent refugee from Eritrea known as a hard worker devoted to his wife and kids, said Elenne Abraham, who attended the same church as Saleh’s family.
“I think the only time I ever heard about him taking time off was the day he died. He was outside the club, getting some air and he was killed,” Abraham said.
Saleh was a native of Eritrea in Africa, according totheDayton Daily News.
Khamis, who served as a spokesperson for Saleh’s family, also told theDayton Daily News, “We are here as a family, no matter who we are, as the city of Dayton is a welcoming city.”
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source: people.com
