news

Mass murderer says Uber app made him do it.

An American man who killed six and wounded another two people last month has claimed Uber made him do it.

Working as a driver for the ride-sharing company at the time, 45-year-old Jason Dalton said to police that he had been unable to control his actions, as the app had transformed him into a “puppet” and possessed him.

The information on the recent crime comes following a Freedom of Information request from local news station WZZM 13.

On February 20, 2016, Dalton went on a shooting spree throughout Kalamazoo, Michigan. The shootings occurred across multiple parking lots around the city and it is believed that Dalton may have picked up fares between shootings.

via Flickr/Mark Warner

Following a seven-hour manhunt, police located and arrested Dalton, who was carrying a semi-automatic pistol and folding knife in his pocket. He is now awaiting trial.

After his arrest, Dalton tried to repeatedly explain to police “he is not a killer and he knows that he killed,” but that the global ride-sharing app possess the ability to “take you over.”

According to Dalton, a horned devil with a cow head would appear on his phone whenever he was using the app. “It started making me feel like a puppet,” he told detectives, stating that the app’s colour would change from black to red before taking control of him.

ADVERTISEMENT

The shooting spree began at around 6pm, when Dalton cut off Tiana Carruthers with his vehicle. Dalton allegedly stopped his car and muttered something to Carruthers before pulling out a gun and shooting at her. While Carruthers survived the attack, police found 10 bullet casings in the parking lot.

Four hours later, Richard Smith and his son Tyler were shot dead by Dalton at a Kia car dealership. Tyler’s girlfriend witnessed the shooting and said to police Dalton “fired so many rounds that he wouldn’t miss.”

A further four victims were shot dead and another one seriously injured 15 minutes later in a nearby Cracker Barrel restaurant car park.

Following his arrest police found a cache of weapons – including bullets, handguns, long guns, gunpowder and knives – in his basement.

He has no known criminal record and is facing six charges of murder, two counts of assault with intent to murder and eight counts of using a firearm.

Joe Sullivan, Uber’s chief security officer has told Detroit’s WDIV-TV, “We are horrified and heartbroken at the senseless violence in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Our hearts and payers are with the families of the victims of this devastating crime and those recovering from injuries.”