Portland MAC Attack Reignites Debate Over Civil Commitment

Bruce Whitman, 49, rammed a rental vehicle packed with propane tanks and other devices into the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, killing himself and causing extensive damage that closed the club for at least a week; investigators say Whitman had prior police encounters and mental-health interventions, but authorities could only secure gun removals and short-term holds, not long-term civil commitments or preventive action on explosives, highlighting gaps in Oregon’s crisis-intervention system. The episode has intensified calls to expand civil commitments and red-flag measures for high-risk individuals.