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Jason Brian Dalton 45, of Cooper Township, is seen in a video arraignment on multiple murder charges in Judge Christopher T. Haenicke's courtroom on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016 at the Kalamazoo County Courthouse.(Photo: Jessica J. Trevino/Detroit Free Press)
DETROIT —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The wife of alleged Kalamazoo shooter Jason Dalton saw no signs ahead of time that he planned the rampage that left six people dead and two others wounded, according to one of the lawyers representing Carole Dalton.
"The day of the shooting, there was nothing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>until dinnertime," attorney Paul <span style="color: Red;">*</span>Vlachos told the Detroit Free Press Monday.<span style="color: Red;">*</span><span style="color: Red;">*</span>"There was no estrangement, no financial difficulties, they were not separated. ... There was nothing out there that would indicate something like this would happen."
Vlachos declined to go into<span style="color: Red;">*</span>detail about what transpired between Jason Dalton and his wife<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that day, but knocked<span style="color: Red;">*</span>down<span style="color: Red;">*</span>speculation that the couple were having marital or financial issues before the shootings.
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Carole Dalton filed for divorce<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Thursday, according to Kalamazoo Circuit Court records.
Michigan State Police 1st Lt. Dale Hinz of the Paw Paw post last week confirmed to the Free Press that investigators had heard allegations that the couple were<span style="color: Red;">*</span>having marital issues before the fatal shootings, but said they were unsubstantiated at that point.
Vlachos said the family led a relatively normal life. Jason Dalton worked as an insurance adjuster and worked as an Uber driver on the side. He said Carole Dalton<span style="color: Red;">*</span>works for an investment firm. They have<span style="color: Red;">*</span>two children, ages<span style="color: Red;">*</span>15 and 10.
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The circuit court said the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>filing says: "There has been a breakdown in the marriage relationship to the extent the objects of matrimony have been destroyed and there remains no reasonable likelihood that the marriage can be preserved," according to the MLive report.
Richard Smith, 53, and his 17-year-old son, Tyler, both of Mattawan, Mich., were sitting in their car Feb. 20, 2016, after hours at a Kia dealership in Kalamazoo, Mich., looking at vehicles when they were killed.<span style="color: Red;">*</span> Courtesy of family
14-year-old Abigail Kopf, left, of Battle Creek, Mich., and family friend Barbara Hawthorne, 68, also of Battle Creek were among five friends who were saying goodbye Feb. 20, 2016, after dinner at a Kalamazoo-area Cracker Barrel restaurant when they were shot. Abigail was critically injured; Hawthorne, whom Abigail called "Grandma Barb," died at the scene.<span style="color: Red;">*</span> Courtesy of family
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The two were married in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>1995.
Dalton, 45, is<span style="color: Red;">*</span>charged with six counts of open murder, two counts of assault with intent to murder and six counts of using a firearm to commit a felony in the Feb. 20 shooting that occurred over a four-hour period in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the Kalamazoo area.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>He<span style="color: Red;">*</span>moonlighted as a driver for the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Uber ride service, and authorities said he continued picking up Uber fares in between randomly shooting people. None of the victims were fares.
"The police are continuing to investigate these incidents," said prosecuting attorney Jeffrey Getting, who said there were no new details to release yet.
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But Getting said a pre-exam conference is set for Thursday morning in circuit court and he'll be<span style="color: Red;">*</span>meeting with<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Dalton's attorney to discuss the case and "what steps to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>take" next.
Dalton's wife<span style="color: Red;">*</span>released a statement<span style="color: Red;">*</span>through Vlachos<span style="color: Red;">*</span>last week<span style="color: Red;">*</span>condemning the shootings and offering<span style="color: Red;">*</span>condolences to the victims and their families.
"Our hope is for peace and healing for the victims, the families of the victims, the Kalamazoo community and those touched by these events throughout the nation," Carole Dalton said in the statement released<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to the Free Press. "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."
Contributing: Daniel Bethencourt, Detroit Free Press.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Follow Katrease Stafford on Twitter:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>@KatreaseS_freep
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Jason Dalton was charged with six counts of open murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, and eight counts of felony firearm after a shooting spree left six dead. VPC
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