PORTLAND, Ore. – A rash of eight shootings in the Portland area in less than two days has residents on edge.
Police and organizations that monitor gang activity also said they are worried. So far, no one has been killed but several people have been injured.
The first shooting took place just before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night and was quickly followed by six more incidents between then and 1 a.m. Wednesday.
Two people were hit in one of those shootings but both are alive and should recover. The shootings have been located in north, northeast and southeast quadrants of the city.
On Wednesday, in broad daylight, a drive-by shooting took place near Northeast 16th and Killingsworth Street. Witnesses report a gold or silver-colored SUV left the scene at high speed and even drove over a sidewalk.
Bullet holes remain in the windows of a building close to the scene of the shooting. Witnesses said a group had gathered by the building before the gunfire. The building is currently vacant and no one was reported hurt.
Tonya Dickens with Brothers and Sisters, a gang outreach program, said she had “deep concerns” over the spate of gunfire but was thankful no one was killed.
One witness described a shooting he saw that involved two men in white shirts. Children were in the vehicle with him when he heard the gunshots.
Another man who lives near the scene of one shooting said the neighborhood is slipping back in the clutches of gangs and drugs following a period where it seemed to be cleaning up.
Police shut down I-5 near Rosa Parks Boulevard following one shooting, snarling traffic, but they determined the vehicle they pulled over was not involved.
Police have not made any arrests in the shootings and have said that both victims and witnesses have been uncooperative in some recent cases.
The shootings are under investigation.
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