Friend Describes Uber Driver Shooting Suspect Jason Dalton as Reserved, Loving Dad
— -- A friend of the Michigan Uber driver accused of killing six people and injuring two others in an alleged shooting spree this weekend described the suspected shooter as a loving father who "could make conversation with just about anyone."
Andrew Jamieson, who said he was the best man at suspected shooter Jason Dalton's wedding, told ABC News that Dalton "was very fond of his children."
"He loved spending time with his daughter and son," Jamieson told ABC News via Skype, explaining that he and Dalton hadn't spoken in one year. "Always talked about how well his son was doing in school; very encouraging to him to do well. Kids seemed to be very well adjusted. Wife always seemed to get along just fine, never seemed to be anything out of the ordinary.
"He could make conversation with just about anyone, but he was also non-confrontational," the Hickory Corners, Michigan, man 45, said of Dalton.
Dalton, 45, of Kalamazoo, was arrested early Sunday morning after three separate shootings that killed six and injured two.
"I was in absolute disbelief," Jamieson said of the shootings, describing Dalton as the "one person I didn’t think would be it.”
Dalton was "very quiet and reserved" and "would avoid confrontation," Jamieson said. He was "not afraid to speak his mind, but definitely not out to ever cause anybody trouble."
Jamieson said Dalton worked as an auto body technician and then an independent insurance adjuster, but before that, Dalton "intended to go into law enforcement."
Jamieson said he did not know Dalton was an Uber driver.
"I actually haven’t had a lot of contact with him over the last few years," he said. "The last time I actually spoke with him was a year ago when he came to my shop to visit and nothing seemed out of place or out of the ordinary. We have our own families to raise and I have a business I run and he has his own business to run, so we sort of drifted apart."
After three separate shootings Saturday, Dalton was charged with six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder and eight charges of using a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to Kalamazoo County prosecuting attorney Jeff Getting. He has not yet entered a plea.
The Dalton family said in a statement Monday: "This type of violence has no place in our society, and we express our love and support for everyone involved. We intend to cooperate in every way that we can to help determine why and how this occurred."
ABC News' Michael Del Moro contributed to this report.
