Portland, Oregon – A 39-year-old man from Portland faced arraignment on 26 charges of attempted murder, attempted assault, and unlawful use of a weapon in Deschutes County on Friday. The individual, identified as Samson Zebturiah Garner, was indicted by a Deschutes grand jury on Thursday.
Authorities shared that Garner was taken into custody on October 19 in Deschutes County after Portland police alerted the Sheriff’s Office about a planned “violent attack.” This warning came after detectives from the Portland Police Bureau informed Deschutes County detectives on October 16 about Garner’s intentions to target an event.
According to the charging document filed on October 20 in Deschutes County, Garner allegedly planned to shoot and kill four individuals identified as “Belayer 1,” “Belayer 2,” “Spectator 1,” and “Spectator 2.” Following intelligence on Garner’s presence in Deschutes County, law enforcement officers successfully located and arrested him without incident on Thursday.
A subsequent search of Garner’s vehicle uncovered evidence believed to be linked to the planned attack. Authorities expressed their confidence in Garner acting alone, ensuring that there was no ongoing threat to the community. The charging document detailed the possession of several firearms, including a Beretta 9mm handgun, a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun, and an AR-15 rifle.
The man is now facing 27 charges, including attempted first-degree murder with multiple victims, attempted first and second-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon. Garner was lodged in the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Jail on Thursday and faced arraignment the following day.
Efforts to gather more details about the case are ongoing, with updates expected to shed more light on the situation.