Neal Bradley Long

Serial Killer

Neal Bradley Long: The Racist "Shotgun Slayer" of Dayton

Background and Escalating Violence

Neal Bradley Long was born on September 19, 1927, in Campton, Kentucky, and moved to Dayton, Ohio, during his youth. He later married, raised a family and worked at various jobs, including as a service-station attendant in the Dayton suburb of Kettering. Beneath the appearance of an ordinary working life, however, Long developed an intense and violent hatred of Black people. That racism eventually became the driving force behind a series of shootings that terrorized Dayton during the early and middle 1970s. Long had demonstrated troubling behavior years before the confirmed killings began. In 1966, he entered a police station and claimed that he had stabbed a Black man in Dayton in 1944. Investigators could not locate a record matching the incident he described, and he was released. He later received psychiatric treatment and was reportedly diagnosed with a personality disorder. Despite his psychological problems and violent fixation, he continued collecting firearms, including pistols and shotguns.

The Shotgun Attacks in Dayton

Between 1972 and 1975, Black residents of Dayton were targeted in a frightening succession of apparently random shootings. The gunman frequently attacked at night, sometimes firing from a vehicle before quickly leaving the area. Several victims were struck with shotgun blasts while standing near homes, walking along streets or gathering with friends. Because of the weapon and the nighttime pattern, the unknown attacker became known as the "Shotgun Slayer" and the "Midnight Slayer." At least 21 attacks were eventually attributed or potentially connected to Long. Four known victims were killed in crimes for which he entered guilty pleas, while contemporary investigators believed the overall death toll could have reached seven. Approximately 14 other people were wounded. The victims appeared to have been selected primarily because they were Black, rather than because Long had any personal relationship with them. The shootings created widespread fear throughout Dayton's Black community. Residents organized patrols and vigils, civil-rights leaders demanded stronger protection, and a reward was offered for information identifying the killer. Investigators faced serious difficulties because many attacks occurred suddenly, at night and from a moving vehicle. Survivors often had only a brief opportunity to see the gunman or his automobile. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Edward Tillman Age: (31), Date of Death: 1973-09-26

The arrest of a notorious serial killer