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The Acacia Strain Respond To Reports of Dayton, Ohio Shooter Wearing Their Merch During Attack

August 5th, 2019 - 6:20 PM

The Acacia Strain Respond To Reports of Dayton, Ohio Shooter Wearing Their Merch During Attack

Over the weekend, gun violence in the form of two mass shootings occurred in the United States. A 21-year-old man left 22 people killed and over 20 injured at a Walmart in El Paso, TX. The gunman was suspected of posting an anti-Hispanic manifesto prior to the attack. Within 24 hours, 24-year-old Connor Betts killed nine people, including his sister, and injured at least 27 others in a popular nightlife district in Dayton, Ohio. Classmates of the gunman in the Dayton shooting alleged that he kept a “hit list” and “rape list,” CNN reports.

Ohio television news correspondent Jim Heath pointed out in a tweet that the logo on Betts’ sweatshirt in the Dayton shooting, which reads “No heart to fear, no soul to steal,” is a quote from metalcore band The Acacia Strain’s song “Ramirez.” “Ramirez” is one of the songs on the band’s fifth album, Wormwood, released in July 2010. According to Brooklyn Vegan, the journalist discovered Betts wore a The Acacia Strain hoodie, writing “Suspect in #Dayton shooting was wearing shorts with a black sweatshirt that read: ‘No heart to fear, no soul to steal.’ The slogan is believed to be from a hateful and vengeful song called Ramirez by The Acacia Strain, a metalcore band.”

After the reports, frontman Vincent Bennett from The Acacia Strain spoke out, “What happened in Dayton is horrifying. Even more so to know that the shooter was wearing a TAS hoodie is making me sick. There is no excuse for this. Anyone who knows anything knows we don’t condone this behavior. No one has the right to take another’s life.” He also added, “We will be taking action to help the families of the victims however we can.”

Bennett spread positivity in a follow-up tweet, “Music is an outlet. Music should purify. Use art as a positive outlet to your negative emotions. If you feel angry – turn to music, turn to creation. This has to stop.” Bennett also retweeted a GoFundMe that was set up for one of the victims.”

MetalSucks updates, Bennett also responded to the two massacres during the performance at the Milwaukee stop of their tour with Judiciary, Kublai Khan and Chamber last Sunday. He addressed:

“Before we start, I want to kind of say something about the things that have been happening in the past couple of days. Kinda bullshit. Anybody who knows this band knows we don’t condone anything even close to the things that have been happening in El Paso – the things that have been happening in Dayton. It’s disgusting, it’s sad and all I do this for is so you have a safe place to be. So you can have a good fucking time, so you can get your energy out, so you can leave smiling. All I ever wanted to do was make music. All I ever wanted to do was make people happy. So please, just have a good fucking time tonight. Throw everything else out the window. Smile. Make a new friend. Just have fun. Please.”

Slipknot’s frontman Corey Taylor defended Bennett and tweeted, “No. You don’t get to fucking do that. This isn’t about a fucking t-shirt. And the Acacia Strain are not a hateful or vengeful band. Blame the KILLER; not the fucking WARDROBE. You Ghoul.”

Neckbeard Deathcamp also responded with an insult directed at the Ohio shooter, who was killed within 30 seconds of the attack beginning, “just another dime a dozen Ohio grind dude who caped progressive politics while treating women like shit.”

The Acacia Strain’s “Impact Crater” tour is underway this summer. The band will have a one-night break tonight and then keep touring in Iowa City on August 6. Their last concert warps up at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus. Check out the dates here.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna

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