A jury has delivered a guilty verdict against Laura Marie Patterson, aged 48, for charges connected to the November 2023 shooting at Portland International Airport (PDX), the Multnomah County District Attorney confirmed. According to official reports, Patterson caused alarm when she discharged her firearm inside a terminal, shooting twice into the ceiling at the D/E checkpoint before surrendering to law enforcement.
Responding to the November 14 incident, Patterson was taken into custody after having calmly placed her gun on the ground, and she later confessed that her intention wasn’t to board a flight but rather, she stated she had been compelled to drive from Kennewick, Washington to PDX with darker thoughts of harming her family members in another state as the ultimate purpose; Patterson detailed to detectives how she would have traveled to execute the deed, it's been revealed with several hours spent parked in front of ticket counters before proceeding to the checkpoint area where the shooting occurred. The police found in her possession a trove of items including multiple changes of clothes, camping and cold weather gear, extra ammunition, her passport, various expired IDs from different states, and a selection of license plates, all registered to her.
Throughout the trial, which ran from November 18 to November 21 under Presiding Judge Benjamin Souede, Deputy District Attorneys Anthony Dundon and Noah Berg prosecuted the case, leading to Patterson's conviction for unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm, possession of a firearm in a public building with a firearm, first degree criminal mischief with a firearm, recklessly endangering another person, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a loaded firearm in public.
Patterson awaits her sentencing, scheduled for December 19, while in custody, as each of these charges carry their own grave weight the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office has extended gratitude to all hands that were on deck in this complex case, naming detectives, officers, and the victim advocate whose collaborative effort ensured swift justice according to their statement. All involved parties including Det. Catherine Hartless, Det. Kit Lommen, Capt. Jeremy Hepp, Ofc. Grant Thommen, Ofc. Jack Dunteman, and Sgt. Peter Brenner were commended, alongside MCDA victim advocate Alex Bidwell, who consistently supported the victims from start to finish.
