One of many folks killed throughout Sunday's taking pictures at an Oregon Safeway grocery store was an worker who confronted and tried to disarm the gunman, possible stopping extra deaths, police stated on Monday.
At a presser on Monday, Bend Police recognized the 2 taking pictures victims as 84-year-old Bend resident Glenn Edward Bennett, who was purchasing on the time of the assault, and 66-year-old Safeway worker Donald Ray Surrett Jr., who was hailed as a hero for trying to disarm the shooter.
"That is the Safeway worker who engaged with the shooter, which is to say he tried to disarm the shooter and attacked this particular person, and we consider he prevented additional deaths along with the fast police response," Bend County Police Division communications director Sheila Miller advised reporters.
Police recognized the taking pictures suspect as 20-year-old Ethan Blair Miller, and stated he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Miller stated when police entered the Safeway they discovered Miller deceased close to an AR-15-style weapon and a shotgun. Police stated officers did not hearth any photographs.
Two different folks suffered non-life threatening accidents within the taking pictures, police stated.
Following a search warrant, authorities stated they discovered three Molotov cocktails and a sawed-off shotgun in Miller's automobile and extra ammunition in his house. Police are presently working with ATF to find out if the shooter's weapons had been acquired legally, they stated.
The incident unfolded shortly after 7 p.m. on Sunday, when Bend Police acquired a name a couple of gunman who got here from a residential space behind the Discussion board Buying Middle and moved via the parking zone taking pictures rounds from an AR-15 model rifle. The shooter then entered the Safeway grocery retailer and shot Bennett inside the doorway and continued firing inside the shop, fatally taking pictures Surrett within the produce aisle.
Police stated they're working via what the shooter might have posted on-line, together with a potential manifesto, and are investigating whether or not he had any potential connection to the Safeway or what his motive might need been.
"We're conscious that the shooter might have posted info on-line concerning his plan. We're investigating this," Miller advised reporters. "We've no proof of earlier threats or prior data of the shooter. We acquired details about the shooter's writings after the incident had taken place. And the shooter has no felony historical past within the space."