A Saturday night fight in a usually quiet Gaston neighborhood ended in gunfire and a deadly arrest, authorities said, after neighbors and first responders tried in vain to save a man who was later pronounced dead. The shooting turned a small Washington County cul-de-sac into an active crime scene for hours.
According to KATU, multiple 9-1-1 calls started coming in around 9:15 p.m. about a shooting near the 400 block of Vista Ridge Court. Deputies detained 48-year-old Christopher Maller of Beaverton and identified 42-year-old Christopher Serafin as the victim, who died at the scene. Maller was booked into the Washington County Jail on a second-degree murder charge and could face additional counts as the investigation continues.
What detectives say
Investigators say witnesses told them the shooting followed a fight between Maller and Serafin. Detectives have been canvassing the neighborhood and talking with bystanders as they work to piece together the chain of events leading up to the gunfire. Officials have not released further details about a possible motive or the weapon involved.
How to help investigators
If you were in the area and have not yet spoken with detectives, you are asked to call the Washington County Sheriff's Office Investigations Division at 503-846-2500 and reference case 50-26-8646, according to KATU. Investigators are especially interested in any video or other information that could help them build a clearer timeline.
Maller's booking on a second-degree murder charge begins the formal criminal process. He remains in custody pending arraignment and, like all suspects, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court while detectives continue gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses.
