3 Dead After Shooter Opens Fire at Oregon Shopping Center

August 29th, 2022

Awake Goy

A gunman armed with an AR-15-style rifle opened fire in a shopping center in Bend, Oregon, on Sunday evening, killing at least two people, authorities have confirmed.

An individual who is believed to be the shooter was also found dead at the scene, police said, taking the death toll to three.

Officers and emergency medics responded to multiple 911 calls of shots being fired at the Forum Shopping Center in Brend, which is approximately 160 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon, at about 7:04 p.m.

As police responded to the incident, there were reports of at least one or two active shooters in the area, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said in a press conference on Sunday night. But only one shooter was discovered.

Officials believe the shooter, who was only identified as a male, entered from a residential area behind the shopping center and moved through the parking lot while shooting rounds from an AR-15-style rifle.

The shooter then entered a Safeway grocery store, where he shot a person at the entrance. That individual was later transported to the hospital and pronounced dead, Krantz said.

The gunman continued firing throughout the store, shooting and killing a second person, police said, without identifying the suspect.

When officers arrived at the grocery store, police believe shots were still being fired, Krantz said. Officers found the suspected shooter dead inside the store.

Police found the AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun in close proximity to the shooter’s body, Krantz said, noting that Bend police officers did not fire any shots.

A witness had told police that they believed there was a second shooter at the scene. However, police did not find any evidence of a second shooter or additional gunfire in the area and believe the gunman acted alone.

One person was also injured during the shooting but no further details were provided by police.

‘Frightening For Our Community’

In a post on Facebook, St. Charles Health System said the St. Charles Medical Center hospital received two victims from the shooting; one of whom was dead on arrival and another who was in good condition.

The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, Krantz said, and multiple agencies are involved including the FBI.

As the area covered by the investigation is large and includes the shopping center and parking lot, it will take authorities a long time to collect evidence and process the scene, Krantz told reporters. Officials are also in the process of obtaining search warrants for residencies near the mall, the police chief added.

“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Krantz said. “We know this is frightening for our community and something we would never want to happen in our city,” he said, while vowing that police would do everything they can to follow up on every lead they get.

Krantz noted that police are aware of “information floating around social media” regarding the individual who was engaged in the shooting. The postings on social media are being investigated by police, he said.

No evidence was found with regards to other reports of possible shootings around town, he added.

“We ask the community to be patient as we work through the investigation and determine all leads,” Krantz said, before calling on members of the public who may have information on the shooting to contact police.