Crime & Safety

Woodburn Massacre's Youngest Survivor Gets Fundraising Campign

Hailey Grimm is 8, the younger of two survivors of the massacre in which her mom and baby sister were killed by her mom's boyfriend.

OREGON CITY, OR – In one horrific incident, Hailey Grimm lost her mother and baby sister to an axe-wielding man who was her mother's boyfriend. Now, family and friends are trying to raise money not just for two funerals but to provide for Hailey as she grows up, the youngest survivor of an incident that ended with five people dead.

"We want to thank the public for the out pouring of love and support you have shown for Hailey," her family said in a statement released by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

" Your thoughts and kind words have been a great comfort to her. We are now, turning our focus to Hailey’s care and treatment and ask you to please respect her privacy as she starts down her path to healing."

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The family wrote on a GoFundMe page that they are thankful for "the quick response from officers that saved her life just as he was attempting to take her life too."

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Meanwhile, Tracy Burbank, the only other survivor also released a statement, saying, "I appreciate all the support I have received in the last few days.

"I ask that you please respect my privacy while I look for a way to move on with my life. I will not be accepting any requests from the media for statements or interviews. Please allow me the time and space to heal and move forward."

Burbank, a family friend who was staying at the house, said that she'd been lying in a bunk bed when Gago came at her with a weapon that hit the bunk bed, giving her a chance to escape.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said that responding deputies on Saturday night thought the scene "horrific." There were four people, killed by a family member who was shot dead as he tried to add a fifth to the tally.

Deputies who responded are being offered support and counseling by the Sheriff's Office.

Officials say that 42-year-old Mark Leo Gregory Gago killed his mother, his step-father, his girlfriend and their 9-month old girl and was getting ready to kill Grimm, the 8-year-old daughter of his girlfriend from a previous relationship. It was at that moment that he was shot and killed by at least one deputy.

Gago did not use a gun to kill any of his victims, according to officials. They believe he used an axe and maybe other sharp weapons. Deputies found swords and other weapons in the home.

Burbank and Grimm were taken to a hospital with what officials say were non-life-threatening injuries.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office have not said how many deputies fired their weapons but five deputies and a sergeant have been placed on administrative leave.

Deputies arrived at a home shared by Gago and the others at 32000 South Barlow Road just outside of Woodburn around 10:15 on Saturday night.

Officials say that as they arrived, they found a dead woman outside.

They heard screams from inside, ran in and found Gago appearing to get ready to kill a young girl. They shot him.

Going through the house, deputies discovered body after body.

There was: Gago's mother, 64-year-old Pamela Bremer; Gago's step-father, 66-year-old Jerry Bremer; Gago's girlfriend, 31-year-old Shaina Sweitzer, and Olivia Gago, the 9-month-old child of Gago and Sweitzer.

Investigators are trying to determine what set Gago off.

He has a limited record that includes an arrest in Aug, 2018 on the charge of unlawful possession of a weapon.

Gago was also scheduled to appear at a contempt of court hearing this March for not paying child support. The last payment he was made was four years ago.

He was divorced and there had been several hearings over the past two years related to the child support payments.

Gago also received a fair amount of attention in 2015 when the surveillance camera on his property captured video of a cougar that was believed to have been killing livestock in the area.

Photos of Hailey Grimm and her sister from GoFundMe, a Patch partner. Other photos via Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

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