PORTLAND, Ore. — Six people were shot, one fatally, in a mass shooting incident in Northeast Portland Saturday night. Portland police said on Sunday the incident began as a confrontation between an armed neighbor and armed protesters.
According to a press release from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), police were dispatched after 8 p.m. to the intersection of Northeast 55th Avenue and Northeast Hassalo Street in the Rose City Park neighborhood, next to Normandale Park. Dispatch records showed 23 police units and four fire and medical units at the scene by 9 p.m.
One female victim was found dead when officers arrived, PPB said. Friends later confirmed with KGW that her name is June Knightly. Her cause of death will be determined by the Oregon State Medical Examiner, police said.
Five additional people were hit by gunfire, including the shooter, police said.
A woman who was among the injured told The New York Times that a neighbor fired at a group of people who were rerouting traffic ahead of the planned march. She said that the neighbor swore at them and called them, "violent terrorists." She said a demonstrator returned fire.
Two men and three women were taken to hospitals for treatment. Their status is unknown, according to police late Saturday night.
Two people were taken into custody at the site of the shooting, PPB said, but police haven't released any further suspect information. Homicide detectives are investigating the case.
PPB said the scene was "extremely chaotic" and a number of people left the scene without talking to police. They believe that a large number of people witnessed what happened.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective Scott Broughton at 503-823-3774 or Detective Rico Beniga at 503-823-0457, and reference case number 22-47502.
This was one of at least two shootings in Portland on Saturday evening. Police shot and killed a person near a condo complex in the Southwest hills of Portland. It is not clear what led up to that incident, but police were investigating a call about someone shooting a gun.
Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell has spoken to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler about both shootings, according to the PPB.
Mayor Wheeler released a statement about the mass shooting Sunday evening:
"While many of the details of last night's shooting near Normandale Park are unclear, we do know one thing for sure: Our community is dealing with the sadness of another senseless act of gun violence. It is this collective sadness and frustration that fuels my commitment to do all that is in my power to reduce the gun violence that is traumatizing our beloved city.
I want to thank Police Chief Lovell, the investigators and the officers involved for the careful work they are doing and recognize the exhaustion they must be experiencing. I am also asking the community to cooperate with the investigation. We must prevent another tragedy like this from ever happening again.
My team and I will be briefed regularly on this case and are committed to sharing details as soon as possible."
A GoFundMe has been created for the victims of this shooting.