Twyla Southall, Fudge’s sister, said her brother was with friends and family when the shooting occurred.
MORE: Hotlines, meeting site set for families of victims
“They were all just down there enjoying themselves and had stepped out of, I think, one of the clubs and were in a line to get some food,” she said.
Southall, who lives in Columbus, said they called her from the scene.
“His son is very distraught,” Southall said.
She said that Fudge loved his family and had a dog Lucy that he “absolutely loved.”
“He was a good man and loved his family,” Southall said.
Fudge was among nine who died.
The others pronounced dead were 22-year-old Megan Betts, the sister of the shooter; Lois Oglesby, 27; Saeed Saleh, 38; Logan Turner, 30; Nicholas Cumer, 25, Thomas McNichols, 25, Beatrice Warren-Curtis, 36 and Monica Brickhouse, 39.
Warren-Curtis and Brickhouse appear to have Springfield connections, according to online social media postings, but the newspaper was unable to confirm the information at press time.
Visit SpringfieldNewsSun.com for the latest news about the shooting and area connections.
Police said the gunman opened fire outside Ned Peppers Bar on East Fifth Street in Dayton.
Springfield vigil set for Dayton shooting: ‘Enough is enough’
Clark County and Springfield officials took to social media Sunday morning to offer support to neighboring Dayton following the deadly mass shooting.
Clark County Sheriff Deb Burchett posted a photo on Facebook and said she is praying for Dayton.
“Prayers for the families of the victim’s. Keep the survivors that were injured in your prayers. This was such a senseless act. And a special Thank you to all the First Responders,” she posted Sunday morning.
Springfield Commissioner Rob Rue also offered his support in a tweet.
“My prayers and thoughts are with families and friends whose lives have been cruelly disrupted by the shooting in the Oregon District,” he posted.
RELATED: Dayton Shooting: Suspect and 9 dead, 26 wounded or injured in Oregon District
Clark State Community College President Alice Jo Blondin also took to social media Sunday.
“Waking up to the devastating news of a mass shooting early this morning in Dayton’s Oregon district and praying for the victims there and in El Paso. Words cannot express the sadness and shock regarding these events,” her tweet says.
Springfield police chief Lee Graf also offered support to Dayton and Springfield families that were changed by the shooting.
“The biggest thing is our thoughts are with Dayton, and we will help them any way we can,” he said.
The local officials who used social media to talk about the shooting were joined by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman and President Donald Trump.
All three offered support to the families of those killed and the injured.
Also, a Springfield vigil is set for Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in response to the shooting.
Indivisible, a group co-led by Bradley Minerd, said they believe there is too much gun violence in America and are calling on legislators to implement “common-sense gun laws.”
“We are doing this vigil because Indivisible has long stood against gun violence,” Minerd told the Springfield News-Sun. “With the recent shooting happening at our doorstep, it‘s time for us to stand with our brothers and sisters and say enough is enough.”
The vigil will take place at the fountain near the Courtyard by Marriott in downtown Springfield.
“We want to say we are here with you, and we are mourning with you, and we are going to do anything we can to help this situation,” Minerd said.
Minerd said anybody who wishes to show up may do so, and the event is a vigil for the victims of the Dayton shooting first. But, he said there will likely be calls for legislators to create tougher gun laws like more thorough background checks, longer waiting periods and restrictions on purchasing certain weapons.
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