Portland — A 42-year-old man killed his girlfriend, mother, stepfather and infant daughter in their rural home near Woodburn, then was shot dead by sheriff’s deputies as he attempted to kill an 8-year-old girl, authorities said Sunday.
Deputies were called to the “horrific” scene on South Barlow Road late Saturday night, according to Sgt. Brian Jensen, a spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls, including at least one from the home.
“I’ve talked to investigators, 20-year veterans, and they’re saying this is a shocking scene,” he said. The victims ranged in age from 9 months to 66 years.
Authorities said Mark Leo Gregory Gago killed his relatives and was attacking the girlfriend’s daughter when deputies intervened.
“They encountered what they believe, at the time, was an adult male attempting to kill a child,” Jensen said. “They then used lethal force, thus saving the child’s life.”
It’s unclear how the four victims died, but Jensen said all died at the scene.
“They were not shot,” Jensen told reporters near the scene Sunday morning. “We’re not sure what was used at this time. I’ve been told that there were numerous weapons, swords, things of that nature in the residence. The investigators are trying to determine what exactly was used to kill each person.”
A roommate, Tracy Burbank, 40, also was injured in the attack. She and the 8-year-old – the girlfriend’s daughter from a previous relationship – were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the sheriff’s office said. No deputies were injured.
The sheriff’s office identified the victims as:
Olivia Lynn Rose Gago, 9 months
Shaina E. Sweitzer, 31 years old
Jerry William Bremer, 66
Pamela Denise Bremer, 64
It’s not clear how many deputies fired on Gago but Jensen said six have been placed on administrative leave, standard procedure when law enforcement officers are involved in a shooting.
Gago lived with the victims at the home between Woodburn and Canby. It’s a rural area surrounded by farmland just south of the small Adams Airport. A Facebook page appearing to belong to Gago describes him as a self-employed, in-home caregiver.
At least one of the 911 calls came from the home. Jensen said it was unclear how the other callers heard about it.
“It’s somewhat remote, the properties out here are not your typical urban house right on top of one another. Most of the houses out here have a little bit of property,” Jensen said. “On this particular residence, it appears that there is farmland around. It’s kind of wide open down there.”
One victim was found dead outside the home when deputies arrived, according to Jensen. They heard screaming coming from inside the home where Jensen said they found Gago attempting to kill a child. After killing him deputies discovered the other three bodies, all inside.
Oregon court records show Gago had two prior assault cases, in 2001 and in 2005, which were dismissed. Jensen said he was arrested in August for unlawful possession of a firearm was was booked into the Clackamas County jail. The disposition of that case is unclear.
Gago was divorced, and records show multiple hearings in 2017 and 2018 regarding his failure to pay child support.
Records show his last payment to his ex-wife was in early 2015. A contempt of court hearing had been scheduled for March 25. The Oregonian/OregonLive was unable to reach the woman, who was not a victim in Saturday’s attack near Woodburn. KGW reported the woman asked for privacy.
Deputies responded to the emergency call from a resident of the home in the 32000 block of South Barlow Road at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday, the sheriff’s office said.
“It was described as violent and a pretty hectic scene was being described to our call takers. … deputies found deceased adult female outside the residence,” Jensen said.
Emergency responders closed South Barlow Road between Highway 211 and South Schneider Road on Saturday night and reopened it around 11 a.m. Sunday.
This article has been updated with information about the suspect and the victims. Additionally, the article now describes the incident as being near Woodburn, instead of near Canby.
Staff writers Samantha Swindler and Noelle Crombie contributed to this report.
