Friend of Dayton, Ohio, mass shooter sentenced on gun charges
Ethan Kollie, a friend of Dayton, Ohio, shooter Connor Betts, was sentenced Thursday to 32 months on two gun charges. The sentencing comes after Betts opened fire in a popular nightlife district last August, killing nine and injuring 27.
Prosecutors didn't claim Kollie participated in Betts' plans for the mass shooting. But he was accused of buying the body armor, the magazine, and the upper receiver to the gun that Betts used, and falsely stating he was not on drugs on a purchasing form, according to CBS affiliate WHIO.
After pleading guilty in November, Kollie was sentenced Thursday on two counts: Illegal possession of a firearm while addicted to an illegal substance, and making a false statement on a gun-purchasing form. He was sentenced to 32 months for each count but will be allowed to serve those sentences concurrently.
Kollie must also serve three years probation and will no longer be able to purchase weapons, WHIO reported.
He also said that he has not been using drugs since he was arrested and that he's moved closer to supportive family members, according to WHIO.
Betts, who was 24 at the time of the shooting, was killed by police on the scene. A coroner said he had cocaine, an antidepressant, and alcohol in his system at the time of the shooting.
— Anam Siddiq contributed reporting.
