After America was rocked by yet another mass shooting in Bend, Oregon, Monday, police say a heroic U.S. Army veteran attacked the gunman to disarm him and likely saved lives.
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Meet the Hero
Donald Ray Surrett Jr., 66, served in the U.S. Army for two decades before working at a Safeway in Oregon. And when a gunman opened fire in the store Monday and began shooting, Surrett took action.
He attacked the gunman in the store’s produce section and tragically lost his life alongside 84-year-old customer Glenn Edward Bennett.
But police credited Surrett’s brave actions with helping stop further bloodshed, the Associated Press reported.
“Mr. Surrett engaged with the shooter, attempted to disarm him, and may very well have prevented further deaths,” police spokeswoman Sheila Miller said during a press conference. “Mr. Surrett acted heroically, turning this terrible event.”
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) also praised Surrett for his courageous actions, heralding his “selfless bravery.”
“While we are still gathering the facts about last night’s shooting, it’s clear that far more people could have been killed if not for the heroism of Donald Ray Surrett, Jr., who intervened to help stop the shooter, and the officers who entered while shots were still being fired,” Brown wrote in a Facebook post. “In the face of senseless violence, they acted with selfless bravery. Their courage saved lives.”
Friends and loved ones said Surrett’s selfless actions were unsurprising.
The lede of an article in the Oregonian reads, “Whether it was advocating for disabled veterans, offering steadfast support for his church or raising concerns to union brass, Donald R. Surrett Jr. was never afraid to stand up and make his voice heard, said people who knew him.”
Details on the Shooting
The shooting unfolded around 7 p.m. Monday, with the perpetrator purportedly firing rounds from an AR-15-style rifle in the parking lot before entering the grocery store.
Josh Caba, who was shopping inside the store with his children at the time of the shooting, told KTVZ-TV about the “horrifying” experience. His wife, who was not feeling well, was waiting in the car while he and his four kids went inside.
“We heard I don’t know how many shots out front – six or seven,” Caba said. “I immediately turned to my children and said, ‘Run!’ People were screaming. … It was a horrifying experience.”
He and his children ran out of the door, and he said, “By the grace and provision of God,” his wife had driven the car around the back of the store and told the family to get inside.
About the Motive
The 20-year-old gunman was later found dead at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His motive remains unclear, though online blog entries might hold some of the answers, according to CNN.
The outlet found blog posts detailing plans and discussing the purported reason for the shooting. The accused reportedly said the infamous 1999 Columbine shooting partially inspired him, and blamed COVID-19 and associated policies for worsening his mental health.
The blogs also contained other expressions of violence and disturbing themes.
Police reportedly found three Molotov cocktails and other devices in his home and car, as well as a sawed-off shotgun.
Continue to pray for victims’ loved ones, those who witnessed the horror, and the authorities investigating this senseless act of violence.
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