FILE - Samson Garner testifies in Deschutes County Circuit Court in Bend, Ore. on Sep. 8, 2025. Garner was found guilty of 26 felony counts including attempted murder in the first degree.
Kathryn Styer Martínez / OPB
A man convicted of planning to harm participants at a climbing festival in Central Oregon two years ago has been sentenced to three decades in prison.
Portland resident Samson Garner, 41, received a 30-year sentence Monday. In September, a jury found him guilty of 26 felony charges, including attempted murder, related to a plan to carry out a mass shooting at Smith Rock State Park.
Garner was arrested in October 2023 after Portland police received tips about his plan to rampage through Smith Rock Craggin’ Classic, a popular climbing event near Bend, by shooting random people.
Related: Oregon rock climber’s life collapsed years before alleged mass shooting plot
Deschutes County law enforcement arrested Garner in a trailhead parking lot outside of the town of Tumalo. Police said he had an AR-15 and two handguns in his car with ammunition and a tactical vest that was outfitted with bullets.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day praised law enforcement, saying their diligent work prevented a horrific tragedy.
