A friend of the Ohio gunman who killed nine people told authorities he bought him body armour, a gun accessory and a 100-round magazine earlier this year.
According to court documents released on Monday, Ethan Kollie bought the accessories for Connor Betts and kept them at his apartment to prevent his parents finding them.
Betts, 24, opened fire in a popular entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio on August 4, killing his sister and eight others. Officers shot Betts within 30 seconds, killing him just steps outside a crowded bar.
Authorities have said hundreds more people may have died had Betts managed to enter the bar. Officials are still investigating the motive for the mass shooting.
Mr Kollie, a friend of Betts, told federal agents he bought the gunman body armour, a gun accessory and a 100-round magazine which he kept in his apartment so that Betts’ parents would not find it, according to a charging document.
AP
Federal investigators emphasised that there no was indication that Mr Kollie knew that his friend was planning a mass shooting or how he would use the equipment.
The revelations came as prosecutors charged Mr Kollie with an offence unrelated to the mass shooting in Dayton. Mr Kollie is accused of lying about his use of marijuana on federal firearms forms in the purchase of a pistol that was not used in the shooting.
Possessing a firearm as an unlawful user of a controlled substance is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Making a false statement regarding firearms carries a potential maximum sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment.
AFP
US Attorney Benjamin Glassman stressed that Kollie is not accused of intentionally taking part in the planning of the shooting.
The killings, which came just hours after a shooter in El Paso, Texas shot dead 22 people has raised questions over the process of purchasing guns in America.
Police have said there was nothing in Betts’ background that would have prevented him from buying the AR-15 style gun used in the shooting.
The weapon was bought online from a dealer in Texas and shipped to another firearms dealer in the Dayton area, police said on the day of the shooting.
Eight of Betts’ victims were shot multiple times, according to the Montgomery County coroner’s office. More than 30 others were left injured, including at least 14 with gunshot wounds, hospital officials and investigators said.
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Just days after the shooting, the state’s Republican Governor, Mike DeWine, announced a package of gun control measures, including requiring background checks for nearly all gun sales in Ohio and allowing courts to restrict firearms access for people perceived as threats.