A 66-year-old Safeway employee and an 84-year-old man were the two people killed by gunfire from a shooter in the East Bend Safeway store Sunday night.
The shooter continued firing as he moved through the store before encountering Safeway employee Donald Ray Surrett, Jr., a 66-year-old Bend resident, in the produce section of the store. Police believe Surrett engaged with the shooter and attempted to disarm him, potentially helping to save additional lives. Surrett was shot and died from his injuries at the scene.
The other victim, 84-year-old Glenn Edward Bennett, was shot inside the west entrance. Officers and medics with Bend Fire & Rescue rendered aid at the scene. Medics transported Bennett, but he did not survive his injuries. A Go Fund Me Page has been set up with the following message:
The shooter, a 20-year-old Bend resident, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. An AR-15-style rifle, as well as a shotgun, were found near the shooter. Bend Police did not fire any shots. Police also received reports of at least two people who sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Bend Police determined that the shooter lived in a unit at the Fox Hollow Apartments behind The Forum shopping complex. Officers secured that area as well. Because of concerns of possible explosives, Bend Police contacted the Oregon State Police Explosive Unit. The unit arrived Monday morning and cleared both Safeway and the shooter’s apartment. Because of concerns about explosives, Bend Police asked people from eight units in the apartment complex to voluntarily evacuate, and contacted Red Cross for any assistance those people might need.
Law enforcement teams continue to investigate information the shooter may have posted online, which Bend Police learned about after the shooting took place. The shooter had no criminal history in the area and Bend Police have no evidence of prior threats from him. Bend Police are partnering with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine how the shooter accessed the firearms used in the shooting.
At approximately 7:04 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28, Bend Police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired at the Forum Shopping Center in northeast Bend. Those calls included information that at least one person was shooting in the parking lot of Costco and Big Lots before entering the west entrance of Safeway.
Bend Police officers arrived on scene within two to three minutes of the dispatched call. They could hear gunfire coming from the Safeway. Officers simultaneously entered the store from different entrances, running toward the shooter as shots were still being fired. Four minutes elapsed from the time of the first dispatch until officers reported to dispatch that the suspected shooter was down.
Witnesses at the scene, as well as 911 callers, reported the possibility of a second shooter. Our officers investigated and have found no evidence of additional shooters. We do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public at this time. During the initial investigation, we received additional information about another possible shooting in the area of SE Ninth Street and Reed Market Road. Those reports were investigated and Bend Police have determined that there were no additional shootings.
As of Monday afternoon, police have cleared all buildings in the shopping complex as well as the apartments in the area and have served a search warrant at the shooter’s apartment as well as for his vehicle. In the vehicle, investigators found three Molotov cocktails and a sawed-off shotgun. Officers have also located additional ammunition and digital devices, which will be reviewed as part of the investigation.
This is a very large crime scene that encompasses much of The Forum shopping center, as well as an apartment complex and the inside of Safeway. Law enforcement worked through the night to process the scene and will continue to do so in conjunction with the OSP crime lab over today and tomorrow. The entire parking lot remains closed to the public from the east side of Costco to the east side of Safeway.
The families of the victims have asked for privacy at this time. We ask that you honor their request.
Bend Police have set up a tip line. If you have any information you believe investigators should know about this incident, please call 541-322-6380. We also have officers at Micks Drive in the shopping center to allow people to collect property and vehicles left at the scene. Mental health counselors will also be at that location.
Deschutes County DA’s Victims Assistance and Deschutes County Behavioral Health have arranged for a community support center at Pilot Butte Middle School from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., today, Aug 29, and tomorrow, Aug. 30. Anyone who would like to access these services can drop in on an as-needed basis. Victims Assistance has also established support through the Crime Victims Compensation Program for anyone who was present at the scene or their next of kin. An application can be completed through Deschutes County DA’s Victims Assistance or Crime Victims Compensation Program, and links to that application can be found on the Deschutes County District Attorney’s website.
Bend Police were assisted by every law enforcement agency in the region, including the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon State Police, Redmond Police Department, Bend Fire & Rescue, and others. The federal Department of Justice and the FBI also responded. The Central Oregon Emergency Response Team was activated as well. We are extremely grateful for all of these agencies’ assistance as we continue this investigation.
View today’s press conference regarding the shooting:
- English: https://youtu.be/gPp2QWbk5yU
- Spanish: https://youtu.be/XB77lUEajB0
