Wow, what a twist. Ethan Kollie, 24, was arrested on Friday night on suspicion of a firearms violation unrelated to the Dayton mass shooting. He was a friend of the gunman that committed the mass shooting on August 4, 2019. While the violation had nothing to do with the actual mass shooting, they uncovered some disturbing details.
He provided the Dayton shooter with the body armor, the AR-15 upper receiver for the weapon, and the 100-round drum mag used in the shooting. Kollie allegedly said he purchased them for the shooter and stored them in his apartment to hide the gear from the shooter’s parents.
Since the shooter was able to legally purchase the items himself, Kollie wasn’t charged with making a straw purchase. US Attorney Benjamin Glassman stated that there is no evidence that Kollie had advance knowledge of the shooting or participated in any way.
Around May 2019 in Kollie’s apartment, he claimed that he watched and helped assemble the firearm with the shooter. A few weeks later, the shooter retrieved the firearm, body armor and drum mag from the apartment.
The AR-15 pistol used in the shooting was purchased legally by the shooter and Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl stated that there was nothing in the shooter’s history or record that would have barred him from purchasing the firearm, body armor or drum mag.
The shooter allegedly choked a girl he dated as a teen but no charges were pressed. If charges were pressed, they would have barred him from legally purchasing a firearm.
Later, Kollie admitted that he and the shooter used to do “hard drugs” together. He revealed that they used marijuana and acid 4-5 times a week during 2014 and 2015.
Kollie also admitted that he checked “no” on the 4473 form when it asked if he was an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana. By his own admission, he said he lied on the form because he knew he would be denied the firearm purchase otherwise.
When the FBI and ATF interviewed Kollie in his apartment, they noticed the smell of marijuana and asked to search his apartment. He consented.
Agents found drug paraphernalia in his apartment, and he confessed that he was a regular user of marijuana and mushrooms. Kollie divulged that he grew the mushrooms in his apartment and consumed them on a daily basis.
Kollie is currently being held in Montgomery County Jail. He’s been charged with possession of a firearm by someone who illegally uses or is addicted to a controlled substance, and making false statements with respect to information required by the federal firearms code. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on both accounts.
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