Three Bend men indicted in Cascade Middle School gunfire

Three Bend men have been indicted on numerous charges in connection with late-night gunfire that hit Cascade Middle School and a worker’s pickup truck earlier this month, Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said Wednesday.

James Morris and twin brothers Samuel and Alexandre Brooks, all 27, were charged by a grand jury with several counts of unlawful use of a weapon, criminal mischief and recklessly endangering another person, he said. Morris and Samuel Brooks also face charges of discharging a firearm at a school.

They are accused of using a newly purchased handgun to fire three shots that hit the school’s security cameras and windows, a fourth that struck an employee’s pickup truck and other shots heard on Bend’s Westside.

Samuel and Alexandre Brooks were arraigned on the indictment Wednesday and Morris on Oct. 22, the DA’s office said. Samuel Brooks and Morris face a total of nine counts, while Alexandre Brooks faces six charges.

All three men are out on bail. Samuel and Alexandre Brooks are due back in court on Jan. 6, while James Morris’s next court appearance is Dec. 4.

“Deschutes County is a sportspersons’ paradise,” Hummel said in a news release. “Hunting, skeet shooting and target shooting are part of our culture. And legal possession of firearms for personal protection is enshrined in our Constitution and will be respected.”

“But reckless and criminal shooting inside city limits will not be tolerated. If a jury agrees with the allegations made against these suspects, I will seek significant penalties,” the DA added.

Hummel concluded by praising the work of the Bend Police Department: “Bend Police detectives conducted a spectacular investigation. Their quick, thorough and intuitive work resulted in the speedy apprehension of the suspects and the collection of detailed evidence that tells the exact story of what happened on the night of Oct. 9.”