Dayton Bouncer Jeremy Ganger Physically Threw People Into His Bar And Out Of Way Of Shooter
He said he would’ve died before letting the shooter in.
Jeremy Ganger is the heroic bouncer at Ned Peppers in Dayton, Ohio who literally threw people into the bar when the shooting broke out. Ganger, who used to be a wrestler, recalled seeing the gunman sporting earplugs as he walked up calmly to open fire. There were nine victims—Lois Oglesby, 27; Logan Turner, 30; Nicolas Cumer, 25; Thomas McNichols, 25; Derrick Fudge, 57; Beatrice N. Warren-Curtis, 36; Monica E. Brickhouse, 39 and Megan Betts, 22 (the gunman’s sister)—but there undoubtedly would’ve been far more if it weren’t for Ganger’s bravery.
Who is Jeremy Ganger?
1. Jeremy Ganger was the bouncer at Ned Peppers in Dayton, Ohio, when the mass shooting broke out on Sunday.
He was captured on surveillance footage hustling terrified people into the bar when the shooter opened fire. Granger was literally grabbing people, “telling them to get in, get down, stay safe. Telling them to get all the way in as far as they could. Don't watch the door, don't watch what's coming. I was grabbing them as fast as I could, best I could...and then watched a few people get hit.” Ganger’s commitment to his job is evident and admirable. “I protect the customers and my guys that work there as well, all the staff members, so when I saw the chance to step up and help do my job, my part, that's all it was. My job,” he said in an interview. The gunman managed to make it to the door of the bar before being shot dead by multiple police officers.
2. Ganger used to be a wrestler.
Ganger is an independent professional wrestler who used to fight under the alias Pitbull in the early 2000s. He participated in the Dayton, Ohio circuit of WAR Wrestling (Wrestling And Respect), Rockstar Pro Wrestling and Heartland Wrestling Association. Though information on his wrestling career is rather slim, he's no doubt earned himself some well deserved renown for his bravery.
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3. Ganger recalls the gunman wearing earplugs and walking calmly as he opened fire.
He and the gunman locked eyes as he was coming up the street with cold, dead eyes. “That’s why — I don’t know if you saw the footage, you see him pause for a second — it’s because he’s looking at me. Like, ‘Why are you holding the door?’ So he knew I was there waiting. That’s what I wanted him to know. I hope I’m the last thing he remembered.” Ultimately, the gunman succeeded in shooting nine people dead in the massacre, including his 22-year-old sister Megan Betts.
4. The parents of the shooter released a statement on Wednesday expressing their devastation.
Thankfully, the family is cooperating with law enforcement. They offered “their most heartfelt prayers and condolences' to the victims killed by their son,” and also thanked first responders for their quick response to the scene and efforts to minimize casualties. They’ve since requested privacy “to mourn the loss of their son and daughter and to process the horror of Sunday's events."
5. Ganger was hit in his leg by a piece of shrapnel.
He’s in the hospital for treatment and his recovery looks promising. Thirty seven other people were also treated for wounds or injuries from the attack. Ganger says he has been having trouble sleeping, but is deeply heartened by all the well wishes. He plans to return to the job as soon as he can: “If I don’t go back to work, he (the gunman) wins,” he said. “He took something away from all of us if we don’t go back. He’s not gonna beat me.
6. Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was shouted down by a crowd of vigil attendees when he tried to publicly address the incident.
As he took the stage in the Oregon District of Dayton where the shooting occurred, DeWine was met with chants from the crowd saying, “Do something!" He tried to speak through them, saying, “We're here tonight because we know that we cannot...we know that we cannot...ease the pain of those families who have lost someone. We also know that we want to do something.” DeWine has been working on a "red flag law," which would permit police or relatives to petition a court to remove guns from people deemed dangerous. Several states passed them after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. His history with firearms-related legislation is mixed, however. His support of gun control earned him an "F" rating from the NRA, which improved to a "C" in 2014 after his first term as Ohio's attorney general. During the GOP primary for governor in 2018, he was not gun groups’ first choice. They preferred Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted or even former Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, who proudly donned her rifle at a 2018 gun-rights rally on the Statehouse steps.
The Dayton Foundation has established the Dayton Oregon District Tragedy Fund and is accepting donations to help people impacted by this tragedy.
Leah Scher is an ENFP and recent graduate of Brandeis University. She's an alumna of the Kenyon Review Young Writer's Workshop the Iowa Young Writers' Studio. She's passionate about Judaism, poetry, film, satire, astrology, spirituality, and sexual health.