Investigators are still working to determine the motive of the shooter who killed 2 people at an Oregon Safeway. Here's what we know
By Elizabeth Wolfe, CNNUpdated: Tue, 30 Aug 2022 05:56:21 GMTSource: CNNAs shoppers at a Safeway grocery store in Bend, Oregon, meandered down aisles and pondered their produce choices Sunday night, a
By Elizabeth Wolfe, CNNUpdated: Tue, 30 Aug 2022 05:56:21 GMT
Source: CNN
As shoppers at a Safeway grocery store in Bend, Oregon, meandered down aisles and pondered their produce choices Sunday night, a 20-year-old shooter burst into the building and began firing, killing two people and injuring at least two others.
Police responded to the Forum Shopping Center where the Safeway is located at around 7 p.m., authorities said. As they rushed into the store, they could hear gunshots but then discovered the gunman dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The shooter, identified by police as Bend resident Ethan Blair Miller, entered the shopping center wielding an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun and began firing in the parking lot before entering the grocery store, according to officials.
As investigators work to uncover the gunman's motive, here's what we know about the shooting.
How the attack unfolded
The gunman entered through an apartment complex behind the shopping center, Bend Police Department spokesperson Sheila Miller said.
He then began firing an AR-15-style rifle as he crossed the parking lot. Upon entering the store, he shot 84-year-old shopper Glenn Edward Bennett, who died on the way to the hospital.
The shooter kept moving through the store and firing rounds, Miller said. In the produce department, Safeway employee Donald Ray Surrett, Jr., 66, confronted the gunman and was fatally shot, she said.
After receiving 911 calls about an active shooting, Bend Police Department officers were on the scene within 3 minutes, Miller said.
Gunshots were being fired as they burst into the Safeway, Miller said. Almost immediately, officers found the gunman dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, she said.
Close to the shooter's body, they found the rifle and shotgun, police chief Mike Krantz said. Investigators also found 3 Molotov cocktails and a sawed-off shotgun in his car along with additional ammunition in his apartment, according to officials. Police are working with the ATF to determine if he possessed the firearms legally.
There were reports of two people injured in the shooting who had non-life-threatening injuries, Miller said. It's unclear to police how many people were in the store during the attack.
Bend police contacted the Oregon State Police Bomb Squad after becoming aware of online postings, Miller said. The bomb squad cleared the grocery store and nearby apartment complex.
Employee killed while attempting to disarm shooter
As the gunman made his way through the store, he was confronted by Surrett, who attacked the shooter and tried to disarm him, Miller said. Surrett was shot and killed, but officials have praised his quick action, which they say likely saved lives.
"While we are still gathering the facts about last night's shooting, it's clear that far more people could have been killed if not for the heroism of Donald Ray Surrett, Jr., who intervened to help stop the shooter, and the officers who entered while shots were still being fired," Gov. Kate Brown said in a statement.
"In the face of senseless violence, they acted with selfless bravery. Their courage saved lives," Brown said.
Another employee who identified himself only as Robert told the Central Oregon Daily News that he and other employees were working a closing shift in the deli when they heard loud gunfire.
"Me and three other employees ran into a walk-in refrigerator and closed the door and stayed there and stayed hidden until authorities arrived," he said.
Josh Caba told CNN affiliate KTVZ he and his four children were shopping when the shots broke out.
"We started heading to the front. Then we heard I don't know how many shots out front -- six or seven. I immediately turned to my children and said, 'Run!' People were screaming. ... it was a horrifying experience," Caba told KTVZ.
Caba said he was worried about his wife, who stayed in the car because she wasn't feeling well. But as he and three of his children fled through exit doors by the produce department, he found that his wife had driven to the back of the store and was "sitting in the car, saying 'Get in the car! Get in the car!'" KTVZ reported.
The father was able to rush back into the store and find their fourth child, he told KTVZ.
Plans appeared to be posted online
Police have said they are aware the shooter may have posted information online regarding Sunday's shooting, as well as plans for future shootings, but did not share any details.
"We have no evidence of previous threats or prior knowledge of the shooter," Miller said. "We received information about the shooter's writings after the incident had taken place and the shooter has no criminal history in the area."
While executing a search warrant on his apartment, authorities found digital devices that are currently being reviewed, officials said.
CNN has identified several blog entries appearing to belong to Ethan Miller which were published on the blogging site "Wattpad" detailing a plan and reasons for the shooting. The posts were made public on the evening of August 28 by an anonymous account and viewable for 12 hours, according to Wattpad. The posts have since been removed.
The first blog entry was headlined June 29 and signed with the name Ethan. The writer of the post blamed Covid-19 and quarantine for worsening their mental health.
Initially, this person planned a shooting inside a high school on September 8, according to the posts.
More than 35 posts were made by the same account on the blogging site. Most of the posts indicated a desire to commit violence.
One post referenced being "partially inspired" by the Columbine High School shooting.
In other posts signed with the name Ethan, several reasons were cited for the writer turning into a "ticking time bomb," which included their family and their love life, which was detailed in a post headlined July 8.
The writer mentioned buying a shotgun and an AR-15 for the shooting, and said they hoped to kill over 40 people.
Throughout the posts, other mass shootings were also referenced.
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