Ethan Blair Miller, the suspected gunman who killed two people
at the Safeway grocery store in Bend, Oregon, wanted to carry out a separate attack at a high school on September 8, CNN reported.
The 20-year-old had several blog entries published on the blogging site “Wattpad” about wanting to carry out a shooting inside a high school. He was reportedly influenced by the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. He, however, could not wait, which is how he ended up at the shopping centre on Sunday night.
Shortly after 7pm local time on Sunday, Miller, who lived in an apartment complex just behind the Forum Shopping Center, entered the mall’s parking lot and started firing rounds from an AR-15-style rifle. He then entered the Safeway grocery store and shot two people.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said, “They engaged one person there and shot that person. That person was transported to the hospital and was later pronounced deceased. The shooter continued through the Safeway firing rounds. The shooter killed a second person inside the Safeway. Officers responded and when they arrived they entered the Safeway immediately, still hearing shots. They found the apparent shooter dead inside Safeway.”
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His Instagram account reportedly had videos and photos of him with guns. He also had a YouTube channel with multiple videos, some of which showed him firing guns.
The 20-year-old left a journal railing against COVID restrictions by the government. He blamed isolation and loneliness for the shooting.
“I am responsible for this, but I was turned into a monster. I created this Tragedy. But Society created Me,” the wrote in a journal entry on Wattpad, Heavy.com reported.
Another post read, “My humanity is gone. I have no emotions whatsoever.”
