PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Safeway worker who was one among two folks killed in a Bend, Oregon, grocery store taking pictures had time to flee however as a substitute hid behind a produce cart and attacked the assailant with a produce knife, an motion that doubtless saved lives, authorities stated Tuesday.
Surveillance video from Sunday night time’s assault exhibits that 66-year-old Donald Ray Surrett Jr., a U.S. Military veteran, waited in his hiding spot till the gunman seemed the opposite approach. Surrett then emerged with the knife that he drew from his hip, police spokeswoman Sheila Miller stated.
The gunman, recognized as 20-year-old Ethan Blair Miller, fatally shot Surrett after which killed himself as police closed in. Officers discovered an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun close to his physique, and police stated he had 4 30-round magazines for the rifle on his physique when he died.
Surrett’s ex-wife, Debora Jean Surrett, instructed AP in a telephone interview that her ex-husband served within the Military for 20 years as a fight engineer, although he by no means noticed lively fight.
Surveillance video additionally exhibits two folks going again into the Safeway to drag out the opposite sufferer, 84-year-old Glenn Edward Bennett, who had been shot simply inside the shop’s entrance.
“Bend Police are extraordinarily grateful to our neighborhood members for the efforts they made throughout this incident,” Sheila Miller stated.
Authorities continued to gather proof from the crime scene. Greater than 100 bullet casings have been recovered up to now, police stated.
Authorities additionally confirmed Tuesday that the gunman had labored on the Safeway for a short while in recent times; one highschool acquaintance instructed the Related Press he noticed him gathering up carts within the car parking zone in 2020.
The shooter lived within the Fox Hole Residences behind the Discussion board, the buying middle the place the Safeway is.
As he left the condominium advanced Sunday night, he fired photographs into his personal automotive. He walked into the Discussion board car parking zone and continued firing as he got here across the nook of the constructing, walked previous Outdated Navy and Large Tons shops and went into the Safeway.
Bennett was killed on the retailer’s entrance, police stated, and the shooter then moved by the aisles “spraying photographs” from the assault rifle till Surrett confronted him.
Police entered the grocery store from the entrance and rear as photographs have been nonetheless being fired. All the incident, from the primary 911 calls to the gunman’s suicide, lasted 4 minutes, police have stated. Along with the weapons within the retailer, the shooter had a sawed-off shotgun and three Molotov cocktails in his automotive, police stated.
A complete of fifty shotgun shells have been present in his automotive and condominium and 150 further rounds of ammunition have been in his condominium.
All of the weapons have been bought legally, authorities stated. Police have beforehand stated the gunman had no prison historical past and police had not been contacted about him previous to the taking pictures.
After the taking pictures, acquaintances recalled the gunman as a loner who was enthusiastic about combined martial arts and was identified for entering into fights at the highschool the place he graduated in 2020.
Police have beforehand stated they're additionally investigating the “shooter’s writings” however have declined to remark additional on postings on a number of on-line platforms that seem to have been written by him in current months.
In posts on a number of websites, somebody who seems to be the gunman says he’s struggled to recuperate from the isolation and loneliness of the pandemic, expresses hatred for himself and signifies he deliberate to assault his former highschool when courses resumed subsequent week, however couldn’t wait till then as a result of “the Rage has develop into uncontrollable.”
Authorities sought a search warrant for digital gadgets discovered on the gunman’s condominium and it'll take a number of days to undergo these supplies and develop a clearer image, stated Police Chief Mike Krantz.
“Lots of people despatched us follow-up details about what has been posted on social media or different shops and our investigators will sift by that info and make these connections — if it’s actually linked— and be sure that we've correct info,” he stated.
Ethan Miller graduated from Mountain View Excessive Faculty in Bend in 2020, based on on-line data, and classmate Isaac Thomas remembered him as an especially combative one that had few buddies.
Thomas stated he was suspended for every week as a freshman for preventing with Miller, and the opposite teen held onto a grudge from that battle and as soon as threatened to shoot him.
Thomas recalled operating into Miller in 2020, gathering carts within the Safeway car parking zone as a part of his job. Miller acknowledged him and threatened him once more though a number of years had passed by, Thomas stated.
One other classmate, Akela Haverlandt, instructed the Oregonian, “Principally what I keep in mind of him is he was tremendous violent. He would all the time get suspended for preventing and was consistently inflicting chaos.”
She stated one among Miller’s few buddies was Keenan Harpole, a soccer star on the faculty who went on to Portland State College and in April of this 12 months was accused of fatally taking pictures his girlfriend.