PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland police have identified a woman who was found dead following a
shooting near Reed College in Southeast Portland late Saturday night.
Officers responded around 11:25 p.m. to a report of a shooting in the 2800 block of Southeast Colt Drive. They found a woman, later identified as 28-year-old April Nicole Newcomb-Cripe, dead when they arrived. Neighbors described her as a mother of two.
The medical examiner determined Newcomb-Cripe died from a gunshot wound and ruled her death a homicide.
The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) released a photo of Newcomb-Cripe. PPB hasn't released any additional details about the investigation.
Video taken at the scene indicates that the shooting happened in a parking lot near the Wimbledon Square and Gardens apartment complex.
“It was like pop, pop and then a pause and then pop, pop, pop like three right after that,” said witness Valen Cole.
Cole and Audrey Sabol both live in the Wimbledon apartments. They were home during the gunfire and went outside to find out what happened.
“We passed by a lady and we were like, what happened?" said Sabol. "And she was like, 'Someone just got murdered. I held her until she died.'”
Cole tells KGW about an hour into the investigation, police started breaking down the door to get to her two kids that were still inside.
“I don’t know if the kids saw the body, I’m really hoping they didn’t," said Cole. "But they were asking where their mom was. And [police] escorted them out and police [officers were] sitting and talking to them. You can hear them, saying they wanted to go home and were asking where their mom was.”
Cole and Sabol say neighbors on the Nextdoor app saw a man running with his hands in his pocket moments after hearing the gunshots through their window.
The Portland Police Bureau, in a news release, said the suspect had left the scene before police arrived and no arrests have been made.
Flower petals were placed where the woman was shot and killed.
“I think we both just feel kind of uneasy in general in Portland. Portland has got so bad," said Cole. "I know it’s all over the news and stuff, but it just keeps getting worse and keeps getting closer and closer to home.”
Southeast Colt Drive was closed between Southeast 26th Avenue and Southeast 30th Avenue for the investigation.
The Portland Police Homicide Unit asks anyone with information about this case to contact Detective Jennifer Hertzler (Jennifer.Hertzler@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-1040) or Detective Joe Corona (Joseph.Corona@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0508) and reference case number 23-97906.
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