City officials planning permanent memorial for Oregon District shooting victims

DAYTON — The city of Dayton is in the planning process to fund a permanent memorial to the victims of the Oregon District mass shooting.

Two years after a gunman opened fire without warning, taking the lives of nine people, plans have began to take shape. The city commission approved $25,000 for upkeep and maintenance.

“Two years is a long time and people are still mourning, they’d love to go to a place where they can mourn together, be together,” Andrea Mussari, of Dayton, said.

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Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley told News Center 7′s Mike Campbell that COVID-19 has slowed down the the plans for the memorial.

Whaley said a committee involving Downtown Dayton Partnership, the Dayton Foundation and other members of the community was ready to begin a fundraising campaign. The goal of the campaign, Whaley said, is to raise $250,000.

The permanent memorial will go into a greenspace at the far western end of the Oregon District, close to the railroad trestle.

The committee will also invite the public the suggest ideas on what the memorial should look like.

“Look, it’s part of the city and community’s job to say what is valuable to them, " Whaley said.

Mussari suggested the mural featuring the names of the victims. She also suggested reaching out the local artists to be involved with the project.

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