BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The first full day of testimony in the trial of a Portland man accused of plotting to commit a mass shooting at a Smith Rock climbing event turned emotional when Samson Garner’s ex-girlfriend spoke about finding a bag of climbing gear on her porch when she returned home from a trip – and feared he had killed himself.
Samson Garner, now 41, was still alive, but the thoughts he shared with her and close friends – not just about suicide, but violence toward others – had caused rising concern among those friends he had withdrawn from, prompting them to contact police.
That led to his arrest in October 2023 at a mountain-biking trailhead campsite, about 30 minutes away and the day before the Craggin’ Classic was to begin at Smith Rock…