Climber Caught Before Mass Shooting in U.S.A.
Police arrested a man who was planning on attacking climbers at the Smith Rock Craggin Classic
A 39-year-old rock climber was arrested last week over an alleged plot to kill random climbers at the Smith Rock Craggin Classic, an event hosted by the American Alpine Club. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office took Samson Zebturiah Garner to the county jail on several charges each of attempted murder of multiple victims, attempted first degree assault, attempted second degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.
Several weapons were recovered, including a Beretta 9mm handgun, a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun and an AR-15 from Garner. Officials also recovered journals written by Garner where he said that he had a “generalized anger’ and that he wasn’t targeting anyone specifically, rather a list of potential victims, including “belayers” and “spectators.” There has not been a motive given by officials.
Garner was a member of the mountaineering nonprofit Mazamas, which was found in 1894. Executive director Rebekah Phillips said in a statement to OPB, “The Mazamas community is devastated to learn of this situation. The safety and wellbeing of our members, volunteers, and students is our top priority. As mountaineers, trust is among our core tenets; to learn that a fellow climber had intentions to violate that principle through violence is both heartbreaking and troubling.”
The Smith Rock Craggin Classic is described as a “three-day grassroots climbing festival.” The American Alpine Club thanked law enforcement, noting that they became aware of the threat Wednesday, a day before Garner’s arrest. Garner’s currently scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 27.
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