A former bartender from Portland, described by authorities as having a ‘violent obsession’ with the athletics club that had dismissed him, is alleged to have transformed a rental SUV into an explosive weapon.
According to investigators, 45-year-old Bruce Whitman, as identified by his family, filled the vehicle with explosive devices, including propane tanks and pipe bombs, before crashing it into the front entrance of the Multnomah Athletic Club.
The impact set off a fiery explosion that claimed his life and left the building’s lobby in devastation.
This shocking attack took place in the early hours of Saturday morning in Portland’s Goose Hollow neighborhood, as first reported by The Oregonian.
Security cameras captured the chilling moment when a dark SUV plowed into the club, shattering glass and causing chaos on the ground floor.
The ensuing explosion ignited a fire that ravaged the entrance area, causing extensive damage estimated in the millions as the flames spread further into the gym.
Despite the scale of the destruction, no one else was injured.
Authorities believe Whitman rented a black Nissan Rogue the day before the attack and used it to ram into the building before setting off the explosives.
Bruce Whitman, 49, identified by family as the driver, died after crashing a vehicle packed with explosives into the Multnomah Athletic Club early on Saturday morning
Investigators believe the explosives included a combination of propane tanks and pipe bombs, though not all devices detonated.
The blast caused extensive damage to the ground floor, with officials describing the lobby as heavily destroyed
The impact alone sent debris flying through the lobby, but it was the subsequent blast that turned the scene into what one source described as ‘complete devastation.’
Explosive Disposal Unit crews later recovered evidence of explosive materials from the wreckage, while firefighters battled flames that spread through the club’s lower level.
The driver was found dead inside the vehicle. Police initially withheld his identity, but his mother, Rita Lenzer, confirmed to reporters that Whitman was responsible after being contacted by detectives.
‘And then I didn’t hear from him,’ Lenzer said of their final communication the day before the attack. ‘Until I got a call from the detective the next morning.’
Whitman had previously worked as a bartender at the exclusive club but was fired.
It was that event which appeared to mark the start of a troubling downward spiral.
Court documents show he later turned up at the homes of club members and made threats, while also being spotted repeatedly outside the facility confronting people connected to it.
Lenzer acknowledged her son’s fixation.
Police and the FBI in Portland spoke to the press about the crash and subsequent fire at the Multnomah Athletic Club
Whitman had previously worked as a bartender at the club and was later fired
Law enforcement sources said multiple propane tanks were found inside the vehicle, indicating the suspect had deliberately packed the SUV with flammable fuel sources before the crash
Investigators said the explosive materials in the vehicle included propane tanks that contributed to the intensity of the blast when the SUV detonated inside the building
Security video shows a dark SUV crashing through the front entrance of the Multnomah Athletic Club early on Saturday
The footage shows the vehicle smashing through glass windows and turnstiles as it enters the building’s lobby
Whitman was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia earlier this year following a mental health crisis, according to his mother
‘If it was brought up, you could tell, you know, it made him angry,’ she told OregonLive.
Neighbors had also raised alarms, with a group of residents at one point writing to Whitman’s family urging them to intervene and get him mental health treatment.
Lenzer said her son had been diagnosed earlier this year with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia following a mental health crisis that led to a stay at a Portland behavioral health facility after a suicide attempt.
Court records show Whitman was subject to two separate ‘red flag’ orders – in 2022 and again this year – requiring him to surrender firearms due to concerns about potential violence.
Two days after his most recent crisis, he gave up two guns.
‘He showed signs of just being a perfectly normal person,’ Lenzer said of his condition after being released from treatment.
Yet she struggled to reconcile that image with the calculated nature of the attack.
‘To think that hard about renting a car and the propane tanks and all the things,’ she said. ‘How do you figure that out and do that? Where did that come from?’
Whitman had threatened individuals connected to the club and appeared at their homes
Years earlier, in 2015 Whitman drew local attention for releasing pink-dyed chickens in Portland as part of a prank he said was meant to ‘make people smile’
Multnomah Athletic Club is the largest private athletic and social club in the US, with a membership of over 21,000. It has been closed indefinitely
Years before the deadly rampage, Whitman had made headlines for a far more unusual stunt – dyeing chickens pink using food coloring and beet juice and releasing them along Portland’s waterfront in what he said was an attempt to ‘make people smile.’
The prank, while strange, ended without harm. But authorities now say the trajectory of his behavior took a far darker turn in the years that followed.
His half-brother, Cody Erickson, said the two had maintained a relationship and described Whitman as adventurous and outdoorsy.
‘He was a good guy, I thought,’ Erickson said. ‘I don’t know. People change, I guess.’
The Multnomah Athletic Club is one of the largest private athletic and social clubs in the United States with more than 21,000 members and has been closed indefinitely following what it called a ‘significant incident.’
General manager Charles Leverton acknowledged the shock spreading through the community after footage of the crash began circulating.
‘While much remains unknown and the investigation is ongoing, it is clear that this is a difficult moment for our entire community,’ Leverton said in a message to members.
‘MAC has always been more than a building. It is a place where relationships are formed and people come together in good times and in challenging ones.’
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
