The two men who died at the hands of an active shooter who stormed into a Bend, Oregon, Safeway store were both elderly military veterans.
There are GoFundMe pages set up to help both of their widows.
Donald Ray Surrett Jr. was an Army veteran who leapt to action when an active shooter entered the Safeway store in Bend, Oregon. Glenn Edward Bennett was a Korean War medic who had gone to the store to shop.
There is a GoFundMe page to help Don Surrett’s wife Jacky. “My name is Jerilynn, I’m asking for donations to help my sister Jacky Surrett with funeral cost and living expenses,” it reads. “Don was shot at Safeway In Bend, Or. on 8-28-22 From an active shooter. He was the main provider. My sister is on Disability. Don was an Veteran and his instincts kicked in trying to save others. He was shot and killed trying to subdue the young Gunman. Please send prayers too. Thank you.”
The other victim, Glenn Edward Bennett, was a medic in the Korean War. There is a GoFundMe page to help his widow.
Here’s what you need to know:
Glenn Edward Bennett’s Niece Organized the GoFundMe, Calling Him Kind & Generous
The GoFundMe page was organized by Bennett’s niece, Deidre. She wrote:
I am raising funds for any funeral expenses and mortgage expenses for my grandma who lost not only her brother but her best friend. Glenn was such a kind, generous, and well spoked man.
Anything over our goal will all go to my grandma’s mortgage payments to relieve her stress on losing her home.
He was a veteran and lived with my grandma before I was even born. My grandma is widowed and they shared the house together. My grandma is on a fixed income and can barely pay her bills. I know she will need some help.
Glenn was born September 8th 1938. He was a medic in the Korean War. He dedicated his life to helping people.
This is the only picture I could get ahold of, I’ll try to get more later today.
Our family has been in Bend since 1974. I never would have thought this sweet small town of Bend I grew up in would become so tainted. No one should have to go through something like this.
We love you Glenn and I hope you are in a better place. ❤️
Our hearts go out to the other family who lost their loved one last night. I hope we all heal in this tough time.
Donald Surrett Was Remembered as a Hero for Trying to Disarm the Gunman
According to Bend Police spokesperson Sheila Miller, Surrett, an employee at the Safeway, confronted the gunman, Ethan Blair Miller, in the produce section and tried to disarm him. Miller killed Surrett and a customer in the store before taking his own life, police said.
Donald Surrett, 66, of Bend, was shot in the rear of the store, and police declared him a hero.
“Surrett engaged with the shooter, attempted to disarm him, and may very well have prevented further deaths,” police spokeswoman Miller said. “Mr. Surrett acted heroically during this terrible incident.”
According to the Associated Press, Donald Surrett “previously served in the U.S. Army for two decades.”
Debora Jean Surrett, Surrett’s ex wife, told AP that he “served in the Army for 20 years as a combat engineer.”
He was stationed in Germany three times and throughout the U.S., AP reported.
According to his LinkedIn page, Surrett also worked as an information assistant for the U.S. Forestry Service and as an office specialist for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
He received a certification in computer information systems from Central Oregon Community College in 2011, and a bachelor’s degree in computer and information sciences from Columbia College in 2003. “Completed at different duty stations while in Army. That’s why it took so long,” Surrett wrote on LinkedIn.
People who knew Surrett told Oregon Live that they weren’t surprised he stood up to stop the gunman.
“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,” the newspaper reported.
The Gunman Stormed Into the Grocery Store After Leaving Behind a Disturbing Journal
Officers responded to the store in the area of The Forum Shopping Center on Sunday night, August 28, 2022, according to police.
The killer had left behind a disturbing journal in which he revealed he was initially planning a school shooting.
“I’m a blood-thirsty, evil f****** psychopath,” he wrote in a journal entry on Wattpad reviewed and saved by Heavy before it was deleted. The page is called the “downward spiral of Ethan Miller.” The gunman also posted on Instagram pictures of himself with weapons.
“Well, this is it,” read another post on the manifesto. “Today’s the day I die.”
Police revealed in a news conference on August 29 that as officers responded, the shooter entered from the Fox Hollow apartments. He was shooting rounds from an AR-15-style rifle. He entered the west entrance of Safeway. Inside the entrance, he shot one person, who died. The shooter continued through Safeway, shooting and killing Surret inside the store. Police entered the store while shots were still being fired, and they found Miller deceased.
They found a shotgun and AR-15 rifle in close proximity to the shooter. There was no evidence of a second shooter, despite early reports. Molotov cocktails were found in his car.
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