Police said there was an early morning shooting Sunday. Officers dispatched units after receiving calls of shots fired in the 800 block of Southeast Washington Street. The arriving cops found a man who had been shot and killed on the sidewalk. No arrest was made at press time.
The victim has not been identified. The Portland Police Bureau said it is investigating in the area of the shooting. The streets were blocked for close to five hours.
Residents say that tents have popped up in the area and crime has increased. Portland is reportedly on track to surpass last year’s record-breaking murder total, with homicides up more than 10% compared to 2021. The Rose city has already had 22 murders since the start of 2022, up from the 19 in the same period last year. Portland could see around 130 murders this year if the trend continues.
Portland had 92 homicides last year which broke the 1987 record of 70. In addition, all crime is up in the city with a total number of crimes rising from 9,600 in 2020 to 10,200 in 2021. Some blame the crimes on the protests which saw an increase in crime from the death of George Floyd.
Portland police Chief Chuck Lovell told press that 2022 is on pace to be another record-breaking year in shootings. He said Portland is averaging about 20 shootings a week. This shooting marks a total of 21 homicides in Portland this year with 20 caused by gun violence.
