Love triangle escalates to shooting on U.S. 35 in Dayton caught on dash camera

DAYTON — Disputes over a “mutual love interest” is being investigated as the motive of a shooting on U.S. 35 in Dayton Monday night captured on dash camera footage.

The footage, captured by a truck for Xenia-based trucking company Home Run, Inc. was captured around 6:30 p.m. Monday on U.S. 35 West near the exit to Steve Whalen Boulevard.

Video shows an altercation between the drivers of a car and SUV. The driver of the car suddenly stops in the center lane, causing the SUV to crash into the back of the car and forced the SUV and semitruck to stop in the lane.

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Moments later, the driver of the car opens the door and fires multiple shots into the driver’s side of the SUV as it attempted to drive around the stopped car.

The driver of the SUV was hit by the gunfire and drove themselves to Miami Valley Hospital for treatment. Dayton police Lt. Jason Hall said the victim, who was not identified, was being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Police later located the suspected shooter and his vehicle at the intersection of Wayne Avenue and Wyoming Street and took him into custody, Hall said.

Michael Johnson, 42, was arrested and booked into the Montgomery County Jail on charges of felonious assault. Jail records show Johnson remains booked in the jail Tuesday afternoon.

The initial police investigation indicates Johnson and the victim knew each other and the gunfire was a result of an argument over “a mutual romantic interest,” Hall said.

Tom Milby, VP of Safety for Home Run, Inc. told News Center 7′s John Bedell their driver immediately called police to report the shooting, and supervisors with the trucking company so they could capture the video the dash camera recorded.

“(The driver) called the police and called out people so we could capture that video on camera. Because you have to capture it when you see something like that,” Milby said.

“We’re hoping that whoever did the shooting can be captured. We’re just trying to do our part.”

Milby said the company has been in contact with Dayton police who also now have a copy of the video for their investigation.

“I was amazed. We use our videos mostly for accidents and stuff like that. And we’ll see accidents, but a shooting like that just amazed me,” Milby said.

Milby explained the uses for their dash cameras, which are mainly used to help in accident investigations.

“We have dash cams in all of our trucks. Mainly to monitor drivers’ behavior and to tell the story if we are involved in an accident. And it monitors everything the driver does. It monitors the driver’s face, it monitors in front of the truck. So it’s a great tool for us.”

Earlier this year, News Center 7 spoke with Dayton police about the growing number of personal vehicles having dash cameras, with police calling the new technology a “silent witness.”

This is a developing story and we’ll continue to update this page as we learn more.

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