Deschutes DA discusses case against Smith Rock mass shooting plan suspect as details of his troubles come to light

(Update: Adding video, comments from DA Gunnels)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels spoke with NewsChannel 21 Tuesday about the case of Samson Garner as new details emerged about the Portland man's troubled marriage and recent divorce, leading up to his arrest with several guns he allegedly planned to use to shoot Smith Rock climbers.

"He had firearms in the vehicle, and many rounds of ammunition," Gunnels told us.

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and Portland police were able to investigate, then arrest 39-year-old Samson Zebturiah Garner after he arrived in Central Oregon and before he carried out the planned shooting last weekend during the Smith Rock Craggin' Classic at Smith Rock State Park.

"Deschutes County detectives and patrol deputies were able to locate him here in Deschutes County and arrested him before anybody got hurt," Gunnels said.

Deschutes County sheriff's's detectives received information last Monday, Oct. 16 from their counterparts with the Portland Police Bureau about Garner “planning a violent attack during an event” in the county, Sergeant Jason Wall said last Friday.

DCSO and Portland detectives worked for several days to investigate the man, and learned Thursday that Garner had left Portland and was in Deschutes County, Wall said.

Deschutes County detectives and patrol deputies found Garner and his vehicle, and based on information they had gathered, worked with the SWAT Team members to take Garner into custody around 2:20 p.m. Thursday without incident.

Detectives later served a search warrant on Garner’s vehicle and found “evidence of the planned attack,” the sergeant added. Gunnels later confirmed that several guns found in Garner's car were listed in the 27-count in the charging document.

Gunnels said Tuesday, "The evidence included weapons that appeared to be prepared to conduct a very bad, very dangerous act of aggression towards other people."

Gunnels and other authorities said they believe Garner was acting alone.

"We don't see any communication with anyone else who was plotting this event with the suspect," the DA told us. "And there was no indication that he had met up with somebody else to engage in this kind of behavior. Since he's in custody now, we don't believe there is any threat to the public."

Meanwhile, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported details of Garner's background Tuesday, including his troubled marriage and divorce that became final this fall.

OPB said it obtained divorce records that "detail tumult in Garner's life in the years leading up to his arrest, as he engaged in increasingly erratic and vindictive behavior toward his ex-wife and toddler girls."

They said divorce records indicated that Garner, an active outdoorsman, apparently had not been employed since leaving a $110,00-a-year job with LegitScript in Portland in early 2020, around the time his involvement with Portland-area outdoors groups came to an end.

A Michigan judge who finalized their divorce in recent weeks gave Garner's ex-wife sole custody of their two toddler children, banned him from communicating with her except through a court-monitored web portal, ordered him to pay $2,615 a month in child support and also required him to sell their Portland home, with most proceeds to go to his e-wife, OPB reported.

Garner was booked into the county jail late last Thursday night on charges of attempted murder, first and second-degree attempted assault and unlawful use of a weapon. "We believe that he poses a grave danger to the public if he is released at this time."

Garner's next court appearance is this Friday, where he's expected to face formal charges after a grand jury considers an indictment. He's currently being held on 27 counts of attempted murder, first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapons charges.

Garner's bail is currently set at $10 million, pending his arraignment Friday on that expected formal indictment.