Man Dies in Car Attack at a Club

May 5, 2026, 16:33
USOther

Introduction

A man named Bruce Whitman died on Saturday. He drove a car with bombs into the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, Oregon.

Main Body

The man drove a rented car into the front door of the club. The car had 20 propane tanks and 10 bombs. Some bombs exploded and broke the building. Police say the man worked alone. It was not a terrorist attack. Bruce Whitman worked at the club before. The club fired him. He was angry and threatened people. He had mental health problems. He had two court orders to give away his guns, but he still found materials for the bombs. District Attorney Nathan Vasquez says the city needs more help for sick people. The club is the biggest private club in the USA. It is closed now for repairs.

Conclusion

The man died in the attack. The building is damaged, but other people are safe.

Learning

⚡ The 'Past' Action Pattern

In this story, everything already happened. To talk about the past in English, we often just add -ed to the action word.

Look at these changes:

  • Work →\rightarrow Worked
  • Fire →\rightarrow Fired
  • Threaten →\rightarrow Threatened
  • Damage →\rightarrow Damaged

⚠️ The 'Rule Breakers'

Some words don't follow the -ed rule. You must memorize these special changes:

  • Die →\rightarrow Died (Regular)
  • Drive →\rightarrow Drove (Irregular!)
  • Say →\rightarrow Said (Irregular!)
  • Is →\rightarrow Was (The most important change!)

Example from text: "The man drove a rented car" →\rightarrow (He did this in the past). "He was angry" →\rightarrow (His feeling in the past).

Vocabulary Learning

died (v.)
to stop living
Example:The man died after the accident.
drove (v.)
to control a vehicle and move it
Example:He drove the car into the club.
car (n.)
a vehicle with four wheels
Example:She bought a new car.
bombs (n.)
explosive devices
Example:The bombs exploded and damaged the building.
club (n.)
a place where people gather
Example:The club is closed for repairs.
door (n.)
a movable barrier for entry
Example:The car crashed through the front door.
building (n.)
a structure with walls
Example:The building was damaged by the attack.
police (n.)
law enforcement officers
Example:Police investigated the incident.
attack (n.)
an act of violence
Example:The attack caused many injuries.
angry (adj.)
feeling or showing strong displeasure
Example:He was angry after being fired.
threatened (v.)
to warn of harm
Example:He threatened people with his gun.
people (n.)
human beings
Example:Many people were safe after the attack.
mental (adj.)
relating to the mind
Example:Mental health problems can affect behavior.
health (n.)
state of well-being
Example:Good health is important.
problems (n.)
difficulties or issues
Example:He had many problems at work.
court (n.)
a place where legal matters are decided
Example:He had a court order to give away his guns.
orders (n.)
commands or instructions
Example:The court gave him orders.
give (v.)
to provide to someone
Example:He was told to give away his guns.
away (adv.)
to another place
Example:He gave the guns away.
still (adv.)
continuing to exist
Example:He still found materials for bombs.