Oregon man arrested for allegedly planning shooting at rock climbing festival

A Portland man was arrested for allegedly planning a shooting at a rock climbing festival over the weekend in Oregon, authorities said.

Samson Zebturiah Garner, 39, was arrested Thursday after “evidence of a planned attack,” including a rifle and two handguns, were found in his vehicle, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said in a media release.

Garner was allegedly planning to attack a three day climbing festival taking place from Oct. 20-22 at the Smith Rock State Park, NBC News affiliate KTVZ in Central Oregon reported. He was arrested on charges of attempted murder, attempted assault of the first and second degree, and unlawful use of a weapon, the sheriff’s office said.

The event, known as the Smith Rock Craggin Classic, invites “all levels of climbers, ages, races, gender identifications, and abilities” to a series of clinics, workshops and speeches. The festival organizers, American Alpine Club, said they were made aware of the potential threat last Wednesday and worked with authorities until it was resolved.

“We worked closely with law enforcement agencies and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to monitor the situation and evaluate our ability to host the event,” American Alpine Club said in a statement. “The associated individual was arrested and is now in custody, and authorities are confident there is no continued threat.”

Authorities in Deschutes County started investigating Garner last week after receiving a tip from Portland Police Bureau detectives that a Portland resident was planning a violent attack during an event in the Deschutes County area, the sheriff’s office said.

On Thursday, authorities learned that Garner had arrived in Deschutes County. Based on information obtained in the investigation, Garner was taken into custody in the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office jail on Saturday afternoon without incident.

Authorities obtained a search warrant for Garner’s vehicle, where they found two handguns and an AR-15 rifle, along with climbing equipment, the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. The equipment was considered “evidence of a planned attack” according to the sheriff’s department.

Authorities said the investigation indicates that Garner was acting alone. The investigation is ongoing.

Garner was arraigned on Friday afternoon before Judge Beth Bagley, KTVZ reported. He was being held on $10 million bail. It was not immediately known if he had legal representation.