Safeway shooter, 20, who killed worker, 66, and customer, 84, was a despondent loner inspired by Columbine and outlined his deadly plans in a sick two-month countdown blog in which he railed against America’s ‘false’ land of the free claim.
On Sunday night, the shooter who killed two people at an Oregon Safeway grocery left a terrifying diary.
Ethan Miller had planned to open fire on his former high school on September 8, but he chose to commence the assault earlier.
Before the shooting, a two-month-long online blog documented his mental slide and cruel intentions.
Miller screamed against American civilization and ‘false liberties’ and often voiced aversion for human life.
He told readers he had purchased a rifle and shotgun, put together a “outfit,” and was eager to commit murder.
Miller also disclosed he was a ‘loner’ whose family and peers continuously rejected and undermined him.
Ethan Miller, the gunman who shot and killed two people on Sunday with an AR-15, wrote a two-month online diary detailing the deterioration of his mental state.
The 20-year-old gunman who entered a grocery store in Oregon and killed two people with an AR-15 kept a two-month countdown chronicling the decline of his mental health in which he decried America as a ‘fake’ land of freedom and outlined his plans for a massacre similar to the 1999 Columbine school shooting.
Authorities discovered that Ethan Miller, a former student at Mountain View High School in Bend, Oregon, had committed suicide following his August 28 attack at a Safeway in the Forum Shopping Center.
Miller, armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and two duffel bags of ammo, blasted shots from his weapon in the parking lot before entering the shop and killing Don Surrett, 66, a US Army veteran and Safeway employee, and Glen Bennett, 84, a customer.
However, just hours before committing the horrible murder, Miller released a detailed online diary that included a two-month timeline building up to the attack, an explanation of his plan and reasons, as well as a gallery of selfies and photographs of the weapons.
He admitted his actions were inspired by the infamous Columbine school shooting, railed against American society, and described himself as a loner who would never find a woman as perfect as his imagined’soulmate,’ despite insisting he ‘did not have anything specifically against women’ and was not a ‘incel.’
Authorities stated that they found an AR-15 and a shotgun from the crime scene following the incident. Miller uploaded images of comparable weaponry to his Wattpad profile.
One of the photographs shared on Miller’s Wattpad diary page depicted his weaponry.
Miller had designated September 8, 2022 as “Doomsday” and intended to shoot up his former high school, but the final pages of his diary revealed that he was filled with wrath and decided to carry out the attack more than a week early at a grocery store.
In a part he penned around this time, he described the Fourth of July as “meaningless as there is NO FREEDOM left in this country.” Miller opined that ‘power-hungry politicians’ were responsible for the illusion of ‘freedom.’
Miller described himself as the “Quiet Kid with Anger Issues” at his school, adding, “I’ve always been dangerous, though.” He remarked about Mountain View, “I have no fond memories of that institution or its faculty.”
Miller’s former classmates expressed shock and surprise that he published his journal online on the same day a mass shooting occurred in his hometown.
Authorities claimed they had no proof of prior threats or prior knowledge of the shooter, and confirmed that Miller lacked a criminal record.
Miller frequently expressed his view that the United States was not a free nation and was enthusiastic about his plans to carry out a mass shooting.
Miller designated September 8, 2022 as “Doomsday” and intended to open fire on his former high school on that date.
As a student at Mountain View High School, he ‘attempted to fight literally everyone,’ according to a former classmate who spoke with The Associated Press.
The first post in the diary was written almost two months to the day before the fatal shooting, and Miller makes it immediately obvious that he intends to provide a comprehensive account of how and why he carried out the attack.
If you are reading this, I am absolutely DEAD and have just committed a “NATIONAL TRAGEDY.” I’ve left this journal for Investigators, the Media, Internet Sleuths, etc., but it is mostly for the VERY FEW people I care about and want to understand why and how this occurred so they can find peace.
Miller argues that his mental decline began as a result of the Covid epidemic and the stringent lockdown laws that confined individuals to their homes for extended periods.
He accused the government of fostering “mass hysteria” before stating that he was unable to “draw himself out of that state” and that his attempts to meet people, find employment, and form friendships had all been “ineffective.”
Midway through the month of July, the gunman began discussing his broken family ties, stating that his family members were at least partially responsible for his decision to shoot innocent people.
He also began discussing his’soulmate,’ a fictitious woman whom Miller thought he would only meet in the hereafter.
‘I’ve always desired LOVE, it’s all I’ve ever desired in life, but I’m not going to find it here… I simply desire Peace with HER. My true love. She does not exist on this side, so I must travel over to the other side to meet her.
The remainder of Miller’s July postings were progressively aggressive as he expressed his desire to “blow people’s f***ing heads off” and described himself as a “disturbed animal.”
On August 17, Miller’s posts rapidly deteriorated into an angry and aggressive stream of consciousness.
After declaring that he had reached ‘True and Complete Insanity,’ the shooter quickly fell into violent descriptions of his desire to murder and tear apart people.
He also reflected on his impending death, explaining his intention to commit suicide following the attack, lamented the human body’s ‘pathetic survival instincts,’ claimed he now ‘looks Death in the face daily and welcomes its embrace,’ and concluded that he is now ‘at peace with the Monster I have become.
Miller referred to himself in the third person as “The Man” in his final entry, which reflected the depths of his loneliness and the breadth of his fantasies. He also claimed to be at peace and eager to meet his “soulmate.”
“The Man has discovered Peace.” He is prepared to begin His New Life. Together…’ She is flawless. As though she were made for him, just as he is made for her. The man has come to grips with the situation and is now ready to be with her and begin his new life.
As a student at Mountain View High School,, according to former classmate Isaac Thomas, “attempted to fight literally everyone.” After an argument at their school, the gunman allegedly threatened to shoot Thomas, according to Thomas.
Akela Haverlandt, 21, told the Oregonian that she and the gunman shared math and physical education classes. Haverlandt told the newspaper that she once left class to witness Miller “violently beating” a pupil in the hallway.
Haverlandt stated, “He was infamous for getting into trouble every week.” She continued, ‘Essentially, what I recall about him is that he was quite violent. He was always suspended for fighting and was perpetually disruptive.
Haverlandt reported that Miller began contacting her on Instagram and signaled his desire to have a romantic relationship with her.
In one correspondence, Miller referred to Haverlandt as “heavenly.” She reported ending the call shortly thereafter.
Haverlandt also stated that Miller was acquaintances with Keenan Harpole, the football star at Portland State University who is accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend, Amara Marluke, near the campus.
In regard to the event, Harpole, 20, is charged with second-degree murder, domestic violence, and unauthorized use of a weapon.
In April, Miller’s friend Keenan Harpole appeared in court after being charged with second-degree murder, domestic violence, and unlawful use of a firearm.
In April, Amara Marluke was fatally shot in downtown Portland close to the university campus. She died of gunshot wounds about 1:00 a.m., according to authorities.
Authorities obtained a search warrant for digital devices discovered in Miller’s apartment, which was located just behind the Forum Shopping Center where he carried out the shooting. Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that it will take several days to sift through these materials and develop a clearer picture.
“We have access to that data. ‘Many individuals have sent us follow-up information regarding what has been posted on social media or other venues, and our detectives will comb through this information, identify links if they exist, and ensure that we have factual information,’ he stated.
Federal officials were also attempting to determine where the shooter obtained the AR-15-style weapon and shotgun he brought into the store, whether the firearms were lawfully purchased, and why he chose the grocery store for his deadly rampage.
They discovered three Molotov bombs in his vehicle, along with a sawed-off shotgun and additional ammo in his apartment, according to Sheila Miller, a police spokeswoman unrelated to the gunman.
Thomas, a former classmate, stated that the shooter had worked at Safeway and that they had met there two years prior.
In the shooter’s car, authorities later discovered three Molotov cocktails and a sawed-off shotgun.
Miller stated that Bend police are collaborating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to establish where the suspect obtained his firearms and whether or not he did so legally.
The Forum Shopping Center in Bend, Oregon, remained closed on Monday, August 29, 2022, as police investigated a shooting at a Safeway that left two people and the culprit dead on Sunday evening.
According to Heavy.com, Miller’s mother also worked at the store as a personnel coordinator.
His mother, Gail, wrote on her Facebook profile: ‘She forgive, but she won’t forget.’ She is progressing to greater things. NO REGRETS JUST LESSONS LEARNED.’
Miller claimed in one diary post that poor family relationships contributed to his downward slide.
They are always so darn theatrical over the tiniest things… they would constantly find someone to blame and punish for [mishaps].
My side of the story was ALWAYS F***ING IGNORE!
Despite their imperfections, I still love my family unconditionally, although they did play a role in my becoming this way.
Witnesses reported that he began shooting as soon as he left the complex on Sunday evening and continued firing as he approached the parking lot of the shopping center and then entered the Safeway.
Bend is a city of around 97,000 people located about 160 miles south of Portland, Oregon.