Police stopped traffic along four blocks on West 18th Avenue Tuesday morning after receiving reports of gunfire.
The shots were reported at 7:30 a.m., and the Eugene Police Department blocked off 18th Avenue between Monroe and Friendly streets, notified residents to stay indoors and suggested that administrators at the nearby O’Hara Catholic School keep students away from windows.
After more shots were fired while officers approached the scene, an EPD SWAT team was called to respond, according to police reports.
Police arrested Douglas Monty Worley, 57, without conflict at 8:30 a.m. He is charged with reckless endangerment and unlawful use of a weapon. Police confiscated several guns from Worley’s apartment, including a shotgun, two rifles and three handguns.
The EPD does not know the motive for the shooting, but officers learned that Worley was dealing with personal problems and suspected that he had been drinking, according to police reports.
The EPD used its first-in-the-nation Community Emergency Notification System to rapidly call 498 area residences and warn people to stay indoors.
O’Hara Catholic School officials evacuated the school’s 88 elementary students and canceled classes for the day. Before an arrest was made, students were led out of the school’s 16th Avenue entrance and to a nearby church. Parents were called to take the children home.
As many as seven Lane Transit District buses were rerouted during the police action, causing some University students to be late to class. But buses were back on route as soon as the arrest was made.
“It didn’t cause us much disruption at all,” LTD marketing manager Ed Bergeron said. “We were able to get around it.”