A Nazi flag and a Schutzstaffel history book were among the items found in the home of the Ohio Walmart gunman who injured four people and then killed himself earlier this month, records show.
The FBI previously reported that Benjamin Charles Jones, 20, was violent and racist, based on diary writings and other evidence collected after he opened fire at the Beavercreek Walmart on Nov. 20. He said that it may have been influenced, at least in part, by his own ideology. Details were not disclosed in the statement at the time.
But during the search, Beavercreek police detectives discovered a blue box containing two Nazi flags, an SS history book, shooting range cards, handwritten notes, electronic devices and documents, according to court documents. It shows that a total of 18 items, including folders, were seized. Jones’ home in Dayton.
The contents of the handwritten note and blue folder were not immediately revealed Tuesday.
The SS was a paramilitary organization under the rule of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany during World War II. Schutzstaffel symbols and ideology have been adopted by white supremacists around the world.
Newly revealed court documents also outline what happened during and after the shooting.
Surveillance video shows Jones exiting a black 2000 GMC Sonoma pickup truck with the driver’s side door open at about 8:37 p.m. According to court documents, Jones was also seen entering Walmart while holding a rifle.
Around the same time, the Beavercreek Police Department received a report of a man with a rifle entering the store. The caller then said the man started firing.
Shortly afterward, the department received “numerous emergency calls regarding a person firing a firearm inside the store,” according to court documents. The caller described the gunman as a white male wearing a black jacket and jeans and carrying a bag.
Around 8:42 p.m., officers arrived on scene and found a man matching the suspect’s description with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This man was later identified as Jones.
According to the FBI, the four victims are a white man, a white woman and two black women. All of the victims survived, but at least one of the victims has life-threatening injuries, according to court documents.
A handwritten note with Jones’ name was also found inside the black pickup truck. Police did not say what was written in the note.
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.