Community members have nothing but fond memories for the two men who lost their lives in Sunday’s shooting at the Safeway on Bend’s eastside.
Glenn Edward Bennett, 84, and Donald Ray Surrett, Jr., 66, were both veterans of the U.S. military.
Bennett was a regular customer at Expressway Market and Deli in Bend. He liked his chicken, chocolate milk, and Pepsi. He even had his own special chair.
RELATED: Man killed in Bend Safeway shooting had own chair at local convenience store
“He came in twice a day, maybe three times a day”. Expressway employee Mariah McGinley said. “He was nice and friendly and just loved to talk.”
Bennett cared for his sister, was a Korean War veteran, and always engaged workers at Expressway in conversation, asking about their lives.
“It was good to see him,” Expressway employee Kyra Rice, said. “He always put a smile on our face… When he first learned my name, I was at the counter helping him with his chicken. We had a real conversation. He asked me what I do in my free time.”
Then there’s Donald Surrett. A member of the Band of Brothers veterans organization. He was a Safeway employee who police say confronted the gunman on Sunday night. Police say rather than running away, Surrett hid behind a grocery cart and attacked the suspect using a produce knife.
“Yes, he’s a hero,” President of the Band of Brothers LaPine Chapter said at a veteran memorial event in LaPine. “He did what any of us would have done.”
The GoFundMe accounts for both victims have vastly exceeded initial goals.
RELATED: GoFundMe for Safeway worker who confronted shooter raises $49,000 and growing
A vigil for the victims is planned for Wednesday night at the Church of the Nazarene, just north of the Safeway on NE 27th Street starting at 6:30 p.m.
