21-year-old man identified as person shot by SWAT officers during Dayton standoff

DAYTON — Police identified the man shot and killed during a SWAT standoff Tuesday as a suspect accused of shooting another man walking his dog just hours before.

>>PHOTOS: SWAT standoff, deadly officer-involved shooting under investigation in Dayton

William Gardner, 21, was shot by SWAT officers after he ran out of a home on Evergreen Avenue with a gun in his hand during the hours-long standoff, Dayton Interim Police Chief Matt Carper said during a media briefing Tuesday afternoon. Gardner was shot around 9:30 a.m. and taken to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead, Carper said.

The incident started around 6:50 a.m. as a report of a person shot in the area of Hoover and Evergreen avenues. Carper said Gardner fired at least six shots, hitting a 49-year-old man walking his dog in his leg. The victim was transported to a hospital for treatment and was released.

Carper said the dog ran towards a small fire behind the house, which is when Gardner started shooting at the man.

Gardner shut himself inside his nearby home and refused to come out, so SWAT and a Hostage Negotiation Team were called to the scene to assist.

VIDEO: Armed shooting suspect shot, killed during SWAT standoff in Dayton

When Gardner ran out of the house with the gun, nine SWAT officers fired 37 shots. Carper said it was not known how many times Gardner was hit by the gunfire.

Carper said Gardner had a previous history of mental health concerns, and that there is information that indicates he had been treated recently at a facility locally and possibly in Columbus. Police are also investigating if Gardner was involved in an incident Monday morning when officers were called to respond to shots fired, but were unable to located a victim.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is handling the criminal investigation, and the Dayton Police Department’s Professional Standards Bureau will conduct the internal investigation, Carper said.

We’ll continue to update this story as new details are released.

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SWAT standoff ends in deadly officer-involved shooting in Dayton A man suspected in an earlier shooting was shot and killed by SWAT officers outside a Dayton home on Evergreen Avenue Tuesday. Officers said the suspect exited the house with a gun and made movements towards SWAT units before they fired shots. (WHIO Staff Photo)

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