Shooting at Beavercreek Walmart comes 9 years after killing of John Crawford at same store

BEAVERCREEK — Monday’s shooting at the Beavercreek Walmart comes just over nine years after the high-profile, police-involved shooting at the same store.

>>UPDATE: Dayton man identified as Walmart mass shooter, 4 still hospitalized

John Crawford III was shot and killed by Beavercreek police on Aug. 5, 2014.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: City of Beavercreek to settle wrongful death lawsuit with family, estate of John Crawford III

Police were called to the store after a 911 caller reported seeing a man, later identified as Crawford, walking around the store carrying a rifle and pointing it at women and children.

The reported rifle was later found to be a pellet gun from an opened box on a store shelf.

Store surveillance cameras did not show women and children anywhere near where Crawford pointed the weapon.

Cameras did show two Beavercreek police officers approach him as he talked on a cell phone and showed Beavercreek Police Officer Sean Williams firing almost immediately upon officers announcing themselves.

News Center 7 previously reported back in 2020 that the City of Beavercreek paid the estate and the Crawford $1.7 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.

The same Beavercreek Walmart has had other incidents over the years.

The store had to close earlier this month on Nov. 6 after a fire inside the store.

News Center 7 reported that two juveniles were identified as suspects in the fire.

>>PHOTOS: Fire breaks out at Beavercreek Walmart

Police announced on Nov. 8 that they arrested a 15-year-old boy identified as a suspect in the fire.

The teen, who was not identified by police, was charged with aggravated arson, vandalism, and inducing panic charges.

The fire caused the store near the Mall at Fairfield Commons to be closed on November 7 but reopened on November 8.

Nobody was hurt.

Firefighters were able to put the fire out.

>>PHOTO GALLERY: Fire at Beavercreek Walmart

Solar panels caught fire on the roof back in March 2018.

Our Storm Center 7 weather camera showed fire coming from the roof of the building at the time.

Walmart and nearby stores were evacuated, but adjacent stores were able to resume business after it was determined the fire only affected Walmart.

Walmart sued Tesla for “gross negligence” in 2019 after the store said fire broke out at seven store rooftops between 2012 and 2018 causing millions of dollars in damage, according to the complaint.