(Replace: Police plan information convention; Safeway shopper tells of terrifying moments getting children out of retailer)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Somebody wielding an assault-style rifle opened hearth within the parking zone of a northeast Bend buying heart Sunday night and shortly entered a Safeway retailer, firing quite a few extra photographs as terrified customers ran for the exits. Three individuals had been killed within the retailer, together with the suspect, police confirmed.
Officers and medics rushed to the Discussion board Procuring Middle simply after 7 p.m. after quite a few studies of gunshots and a number of victims and/or suspects.
A information convention is deliberate quickly:
Simply earlier than 8:30 p.m., St. Charles spokeswoman Lisa Goodman confirmed that they’d obtained two individuals, one who was useless on arrival and one other reported to be in good situation. A short while later, she mentioned the hospital had been positioned in a lockout.
Minutes later, Bend Police Communications Supervisor Sheila Miller advised reporters three individuals had been shot and killed, together with the alleged gunman.
Police responded to quite a few calls simply after 7 p.m. reporting photographs fired on the Discussion board Procuring Middle, she mentioned.
Miller mentioned at the least one shooter was firing photographs within the parking zone, close to the Costco and Large Heaps shops, then entered the west entrance of Safeway.
“One individual was shot inside the doorway,” she mentioned, and that individual was the one reported useless on arrival at St. Charles Bend.
“Police imagine the shooter continued firing by way of the shop, taking pictures and killing a further individual” towards the again, produce space, Miller mentioned.
Police discovered one other individual, believed to be the shooter, useless within the retailer. Miller mentioned preliminary studies point out police didn’t hearth any photographs on the scene.
Miller advised reporters that police recovered an AR-15 rifle on the scene.
The police spokeswoman mentioned {that a} “shelter in place” warning was nonetheless in impact within the space “out of an abundance of warning.” Police deliberate a media briefing round 10:30 p.m. at police headquarters they mentioned can be livestreamed on the town’s YouTube web page, https://www.youtube.com/consumer/cityofbendoregon.
Goodman mentioned shortly earlier than 9 p.m. that “the hospital is on lockout and we’re encouraging individuals to remain away until they’re experiencing a medical emergency.”
Nonetheless “shook up” two hours later, Safeway shopper Josh Caba advised NewsChannel 21 about a number of terrifying minutes on a grocery run.
The Bend resident mentioned his spouse had stayed within the automotive, as she was not feeling nicely, whereas he went buying with their 4 kids.
“About 10 minutes later, we began heading to the entrance. Then we heard I don’t know what number of photographs out entrance – six or seven. I instantly turned to my kids and mentioned, ‘Run!’ Individuals had been screaming. … it was a horrifying expertise.”
Frightened about his spouse, because it turned out, “by the grace and provision of God,” when he and three of their children burst by way of the massive black exit doorways by the produce division, his spouse had pushed round again and “is sitting within the automotive, saying ‘Get within the automotive! Get within the automotive!’”
Caba mentioned he went again in and located their fourth youngster, dashing her out of the shop and to the automotive as nicely. He needed to reward police for his or her actions.
“Once I received out of that retailer and the children had been rounded up, they (officers) are working into the shop. They’re fantastic individuals. They deserve all of the reward and credit score on this planet. It’s completely extra terrifying than you possibly can think about to have somebody taking pictures at your children. They’re rock stars!”
Deschutes County 911 dispatchers obtained quite a few calls simply after 7 p.m. reporting a number of gunshots heard within the space of the buying heart, at Freeway 20 and Northeast 27th Avenue.
Some callers reportedly mentioned they noticed somebody dressed all black, whereas others mentioned a male topic holding two duffel luggage who could have entered the grocery retailer.
Others heard gunshots from the close by Costco, to the east.
Bend police mentioned in a tweet that there was “an lively investigation within the space of The Discussion board Procuring Middle. Please keep away from the realm. Extra updates to come back because the investigation continues.”
Bend police, Oregon State Police, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, Oregon State Police and Bend Hearth & Rescue medics converged on the scene, together with quite a few armed officers and armored automobiles, amid studies a number of suspects could have left the realm.
NewsChannel 21 has crews on the scene and on the way in which and we’ll have particulars as quickly as attainable
