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Gresham reels from seven shootings in less than a week

Gresham police said that they are upping weekend patrols and working with nearby agencies in an attempt to crack down on the shootings.

GRESHAM, Ore. — A security camera mounted inside a business in downtown Gresham captured the moments when a man and woman ducked for cover as gunshots rang out Friday night.

"It's so scary," Shelly Gray said.

Gray is the owner of Equinox Tattoo Collective and Gallery on North Main Avenue. The security camera in the business caught parts of a shooting that left behind more than 50 shell casings.

"It's just way too many rounds," Gray said. "It's way too close. There's bullet holes not 20 feet up the wall next to us, in the café next to us."

RELATED: Gresham police spread thin overnight by two separate gunfights

The burst of gunfire on Friday was one of seven shootings over a span of five days. Another shooting happened near Northeast 169th Avenue and Northeast Russell Street. Authorities found more than 100 cartridge casings at that scene.

"I think the fact that there were 111 or 112 casings into one house ... that would send a message to a lot of people that was a targeted thing or a statement being made," said Officer Adam Baker with Gresham police.

Baker called the recent gun violence in Gresham unprecedented. He said that the Gresham Police Department is working with the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and the Portland Police Bureau to address the spike in shootings.

RELATED: Portland Mayor announces emergency declaration, new plan to address gun violence

"We're allocating some resources to enhanced patrol this weekend coming up and potentially into other weekends to address the root causes of this," Baker said.

"It would be nice to see even more surveillance from the police," Gray added.

Gray said that the sheer terror caught on her security camera is unacceptable. She said something needs to be done.

"We're going to all have to get together as a community and make sure it calms down," Gray said. "Educate people, take care of the youth."

Nobody was killed in any of the shootings. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information is urged to contact Gresham police.

RELATED: Gresham PD pauses school resource officer program amid staffing shortages

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