In an incident that unsettled the pre-dawn calm of downtown Portland, two men sustained serious injuries in a shooting early Saturday morning. KATU News reports that the Portland Police were called to the scene at Southwest 5th Avenue and West Burnside around 1 a.m., where they discovered the wounded individuals who were then quickly transported to a local hospital for treatment. While the officers secured the area, no arrests have been linked to the event as yet.
The investigation is ongoing and the Portland Police Bureau has remained tight-lipped about potential leads or suspects, both men were taken to the hospital yet their current states of health have not been shared with the public, authorities are urging anyone with information to step forward and have provided an email for tips: [email protected] with the reference case No. 24-160758. According to KGW, detectives have attended the scene as part of standard investigatory procedures, but information about the shooting is still scarce.
The area where the shooting occurred, notably at the intersection of Southwest 5th Avenue and West Burnside Street, has a somewhat notorious reputation. Michael Wills, a worker at River Poker and Sports Bar located near the site of the incident, conveyed in a statement obtained by KPTV, that a colleague texted him about the event, revealing that one of the victims had entered the bar seeking help. "What she said happened was there was a shooting on Burnside and then one of the victims came into the bar looking for help," Wills mentioned, crediting a quick-acting security guard who used his belt as a makeshift tourniquet while the bartenders notified emergency services.
Concerns about safety in downtown Portland have been prevalent among its residents and businesses there, with incidents like these serving as harrowing reminders of the underlying tensions. Wills acknowledged that while shootings are rare, they're not beyond expectation, stating, "We are downtown Portland, so I’m not going to be surprised when anything happens," illustrating a somber acceptance of urban reality, as reported by KPTV. As community members process this latest act of violence, local authorities are working diligently to piece together the circumstances that led to the shooting and find those responsible.
