On a tragic evening in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Barbara Ann Hawthorne, a 68-year-old woman, lost her life in a senseless act of violence that shook the community. On February 20, 2016, she was one of six people killed during a shooting rampage carried out by Jason Dalton, an Uber driver. That night, Dalton drove his vehicle across the Kalamazoo area, randomly targeting and shooting innocent people at three different locations. The series of attacks began around 6:00 p.m.
and continued for several hours, creating a climate of fear and confusion.
Barbara Hawthorne was with three friends, Mary Jo Nye, Mary Lou Nye, and Dorothy Brown, in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant when they were targeted by Dalton. All four women were fatally shot. A 14-year-old girl who was with them was also shot and critically injured but survived. Earlier that evening, Dalton had shot and killed a father and son, Richard and Tyler Smith, at a car dealership and seriously wounded another woman at an apartment complex. Throughout the terrifying ordeal, Dalton reportedly continued to pick up and transport Uber passengers between the shootings.
The manhunt for the shooter concluded in the early hours of the following day when police located and arrested Jason Dalton without incident. He was found in downtown Kalamazoo and taken into custody. A semi-automatic handgun was recovered from his vehicle. During questioning, Dalton admitted to the shootings.
Jason Dalton was charged with six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to murder, and eight felony firearm charges. Initially, there was consideration of an insanity defense, as Dalton claimed the Uber app had taken control of his mind. However, he was found competent to stand trial. In a surprising turn of events, just as his trial was set to begin in January 2019, Dalton changed his plea to guilty on all charges.
On February 5, 2019, Jason Dalton was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders of Barbara Ann Hawthorne and the five other victims. The sentencing brought a legal conclusion to the horrific events of that winter night, though the pain and loss for the families and the Kalamazoo community endure.
