Five people were hurt in a shooting in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood Sunday night, and investigators say they believe the gunfire broke out at a vigil for a person killed at the same location just hours earlier.
Just after at 11 p.m. Sunday, Central Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting at Northwest 4th Avenue and Northwest Everett Street. When officers arrived, they found a person who had been shot in the lower torso. The victim was treated at an nearby hospital, and is expected to survive his injury.
Over the next two hours, officers learned that four other people with gunshot wounds had been transported to hospitals by private vehicles. One was struck in the torso and seriously injured. The others were less seriously injured, and are expected to survive. Preliminary information suggests all the victims were injured in the same incident. All are men ranging from 21 to 32. Officers say evidence suggests at least 50 rounds were fired. Police could not confirm how many weapons were involved, but believe there was more than one. There were numerous potential witnesses at the scene, investigators say, but none remained to speak to police.
The vigil where the five people were injured followed a deadly shooting the same day shortly before 2 a.m. Officers on patrol were flagged down about a shooting inside a bar in the 300 block of Northwest Everett Street. They were directed to an adult man with apparent gunshot injuries who was treated by paramedics but died before reaching a hospital. He has been identified as as JaMarie Herring Sr., age 25. The suspect or suspects left the scene before police were notified. There is no suspect information being released at this time.
Anyone with information on the early morning shooting is asked to contact Detective Mike Jones at Michael.Jones@portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-1063, or Detective Jeff Sharp at Jeff.Sharp@portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-9773.
Any witnesses to the later shooting are asked to reach out by e-mailing crimetips@portlandoregon.gov and referencing case number 21-233879.
Portland and other major cities across the United States have seen a rise in gun violence this summer. Gun violence in Portland has been increasing steadily since late 2019.