Jason Dalton, 45

KALAMAZOO — A man working as an Uber driver admitted to the fatal weekend
shootings of six people in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a police detective testified in
a case raising questions about how the car service vets its drivers.

Jason Dalton, 45, was denied bail as
he made his first court appearance on 16 charges including six of murder that
can bring life in prison.

Dalton told detectives “he took
people’s lives”, Kalamazoo Public Safety Detective Cory Ghiringhelli
testified in a county district court ahead of the suspect’s arraignment.

Dalton appeared via a video link and
was seen on a monitor at the Kalamazoo County court wearing glasses and dressed
in an orange prison jumpsuit.

When asked if he had anything to say,
Dalton, who appeared emotionless through the proceedings, said he preferred to
“remain silent”.

The judge denied bail and set March 3
for the next hearing.

After the hearing Kalamazoo County
Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Getting told reporters Dalton had been cooperative
with authorities but possible motives for the shootings were still unclear.

“No one understands why it
happened, and that adds to the fear and the sorrow,” Getting said.

Prosecutors alleged Dalton randomly
shot multiple times at people during a five-hour period on Saturday at an
apartment complex, a car dealership and a Cracker Barrel restaurant in
Kalamazoo.

Police were investigating reports
Dalton drove customers of the Uber car-hailing service the night of the
rampage.

Two people were wounded in the
shootings, including a teenage girl who was initially thought to have died but
was showing signs of improvement on Monday, state police said.

Initial checks with a key federal
agency indicate Dalton was unknown to both law enforcement and counterterrorism
agencies for having any known connection to extremist groups.

President Barack Obama said on Monday
he had spoken to the mayor and top law enforcement in Kalamazoo about the
shootings and pledged whatever federal support they need.

“Earlier this year, I took some
steps that will make it harder for dangerous people like this individual to buy
a gun. But clearly, we’re going to need to do more if we’re going to keep
innocent Americans safe,” Obama said in remarks before the National
Governors Association at the White House.

Uber said it would not be changing
the way it screened its drivers following the weekend shooting spree. It also
said Dalton had received “very favorable” feedback from riders.

“There were no red flags, if you
will, that we could anticipate something like this,” said Uber’s chief
security officer, Joe Sullivan.

Uber drivers use their personal
vehicles to ferry customers at prices generally below those of established taxi
companies. Critics contend vetting is inadequate and the company never meets
potential drivers in person.

“A background check is just that
– a background check. It does not foresee the future,” Ed Davis, of the
Uber Safety Advisory Board, told a teleconference with reporters.

The Dalton family said in a
statement: “There are no words which can express our shock and disbelief,
and we are devastated and saddened for the victims and the families of the
victims.”

Michigan State Police said the
shooting began at about 5:30 p.m. (2230 GMT) on Saturday with a woman wounded
outside an apartment building. At about 10 p.m., Richard Smith and his son
Tyler were killed at the car dealership.

About 15 minutes later four women identified as Mary Lou
Nye, 62, of Baroda, Michigan; and Dorothy Brown, 74; Barbara Hawthorne, 68; and
Mary Jo Nye, 60, were fatally shot outside the restaurant.