Jason Dalton, the suspect in a tragic shooting spree that reportedly left at least seven dead in Kalamazoo, Mich., late on Saturday, was a driver for Uber who had cleared its background checks, the ride-sharing company confirmed on Sunday.
Suspected Shooter Behind Kalamazoo Murders Was Uber Driver With No Criminal Record
The alleged shooter is in police custody.
360b / Shutterstock
Police in Michigan said Dalton, who is in custody, had no criminal background.
“We are horrified and heartbroken at the senseless violence in Kalamazoo,” Uber’s chief security officer, Joe Sullivan, said in a statement. “Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this devastating crime and those recovering from injuries. We have reached out to the police to help with their investigation in any way that we can.”
Several local reports claimed that Dalton was picking up Uber fares between the shootings. Uber declined to comment on this, citing the ongoing investigation. Kalamazoo police chief Jeff Hadley said local authorities could not verify this claim.
Uber’s background check process, which clears drivers to be eligible for its app, has faced frequent criticism, including charges from district attorneys in Los Angeles and San Francisco, for failing to detect prior criminal backgrounds.
In this case, however, it looks as though faulty checks are not to blame.
Reached by phone, police chief Hadley confirmed that Dalton had no criminal background. “He was very clean,” Hadley said. “Nothing.”
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
