August 28 one year ago, Donald Surrett Jr. and Glenn Bennett were killed inside the Bend eastside Safeway.
Bennett was shot near the entrance as the gunman entered the store. Surrett hid in the produce section armed with a knife, Bend Police say his actions certainly saved the lives of others.
One year later, it remains impossible to measure every impact the Safeway shooting has had on the Central Oregon community.
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“I feel just as bad about it today as I did last year because I see the anger in people. I think hopefully we learn that, you know, there there’s people struggling out there,” a Bend resident said.
“I feel like the community now, we understand now in a small part with so many other communities have felt,” said another.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz was a central figure in the response to the shooting. He spoke to Central Oregon Daily about some of the unique moments he remembers from that night.
“There was examples just at night of people helping each other, helping each other out of the parking lot, helping each other afterwards, having a place to stay,” he said. “While this hours long investigation occurred, taking care of each other, just as simple humans taking care of each other’s needs.”
Among the lessons learned, Chief Krantz said he hopes people realize how fast rumors and disinformation can spread online.
He reminded people to remain patient and wait for confirmed facts during any crisis.
As a reminder, there is support for those struggling locally; anyone can call 2-1-1 to be connected with resources and counseling services.
