Cops: Man Planned Shooting at Rock-Climbing Event

The Smith Rock Craggin' Classic, an annual three-day rock-climbing fest, took place without a hitch over the weekend in Oregon's Smith Rock State Park. It could've ended up as a crime scene, however, according to authorities, who say they uncovered a mass shooting plot believed to have targeted the event. The Bulletin reports that 39-year-old Samson Zebturiah Garner of Multnomah County was charged Friday with multiple counts of attempted murder, attempted assault, and unlawful use of a weapon.

According to Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels, two people who say Garner told them about his plans to shoot multiple random people informed the Portland Police Bureau of those plans, which in turn filled in the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, which then arrested Garner on Thursday night. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that police recovered two 9mm handguns and an AR-15 from Garner upon his detention, and Gunnels adds that a journal was also found that mentioned Garner's "generalized anger," suggesting he didn't have specific individuals in mind as targets. Possible victims listed in court documents were referred to as either "spectator" or "belayer," the latter a climbing term.

Otherwise, it's not clear what the motive might be, per Gunnels, and cops say it's believed Garner was acting alone and that there's no further threat to the community. Garner "had driven two-and-a-half, three hours to Deschutes County, where he apparently intended to carry out the attack," Gunnels said. "And he was armed for it." KTVZ reports that Garner has held various jobs in IT, per his apparent LinkedIn profile, and that he'd volunteered over the past few years with both Portland Mountain Rescue and the Mazamas, a mountaineering education nonprofit. However, Rebekah Phillips, the executive director for the latter group, says Garner's involvement with them had been "extremely limited in recent years." Garner, who was booked into the Deschutes County Jail, is being held on $10 million bail. (More rock climbing stories.)