Oregon man arrested and accused of allegedly planning shooting at rock climbing festival
A Portland man was arrested on charges he planned a shooting at a rock climbing festival over the weekend in Oregon, authorities said.
Samson Zebturiah Garner, 39, was arrested Thursday after "evidence of a planned attack," including a rifle and two handguns, was found in his vehicle, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said in a media release.
Garner was allegedly planning to attack a three-day climbing festival taking place from Friday to Sunday at the Smith Rock State Park, NBC affiliate KTVZ of Bend reported. Garner was arrested on charges of attempted murder, first- and second-degree attempted assault and unlawful use of a weapon, the sheriff’s office said.
In a 27-count indictment, the Deschutes County district attorney lists four victims Garner is accused of targeting as "Belayer 1, Belayer 2, Spectator 1, and Spectator 2." A belayer is a person who controls the safety rope for a climber.
The event, known as the Smith Rock Craggin Classic, invites “all levels of climbers, ages, races, gender identifications, and abilities” to a series of clinics, workshops and speeches. The festival’s organizer, the American Alpine Club, said it was made aware of the potential threat Wednesday and worked with authorities until it was resolved.
"We worked closely with law enforcement agencies and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to monitor the situation and evaluate our ability to host the event," the club said in a statement. "The associated individual was arrested and is now in custody, and authorities are confident there is no continued threat."
Authorities in Deschutes County started investigating Garner last week after they received a tip from Portland police detectives that a Portland resident was planning a violent attack at an event in the Deschutes County area, the sheriff's office said.
On Thursday, authorities learned that Garner had arrived in Deschutes County. Based on information obtained in the investigation, Garner was arrested Saturday afternoon without incident.
Authorities obtained a search warrant for Garner's vehicle, in which they found two handguns and an AR-15 rifle, along with climbing equipment, the district attorney’s office said in a statement. The equipment was considered “evidence of a planned attack,” the sheriff's department said.
Authorities said the investigation indicates Garner was acting alone. The investigation continues.
Garner was arraigned Friday afternoon before Deschutes County Circuit Judge Beth Bagley, KTVZ reported. He was being held in lieu of $10 million bail. It was not immediately known whether he had a lawyer.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
