Here’s some scary news for all the frequent Uber users out there. Jason Brian Dalton, who shot and killed six people seemingly at random in Kalamazoo County, Mich. on Saturday, was reportedly on duty as an Uber driver right before the killings occurred.
Mackenzie Waite, a Kalamazoo resident, posted on Facebook to warn her friends not to get in the car with Dalton. Apparently, her fiancé, Matt Mellen, had ridden in Dalton’s car shortly before the killings and Dalton had been driving very erratically.
“They sideswiped a car blowing through the stop sign. … Then this man proceeded to drive 80mph down west main swerving in and out of oncoming traffic,” Waine said in her post. “Despite Matt pleading with this driver to pull over, he refused.”
Uber driver Jason Dalton’s last rider posted about his behavior just prior to deadly rampage. #KalamazooShooting pic.twitter.com/jByBa7JU4B
— Robb Ware (@robbware) February 21, 2016
Dalton had been driving erratically for days before the shootings, causing many Uber users to question why nothing was done to suspend Dalton.
“Although it may be impractical to suggest that a large company such as Uber should be aware of the emotional state of all of its drivers, it is not unreasonable to expect a real-time review and action plan in place to flag and manage passenger issues and concerns,” Gary Buffo, president of the National Limousine Association, said in a statement.
While Dalton did not have a previous criminal record, according to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department. MLive.com reports that he also had no history of mental illness.
The sheriff’s department is currently investigating whether or not Dalton was taking fares in between killings. For now, it seems best to exercise caution while using the ride-sharing app. If you get a bad feeling, don’t get in the car.