PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One person died after a shooting was reported in Old Town early Friday morning — and it was only one of the numerous reported shootings in under 24 hours.
Around 2:17 a.m., Portland police received a call about a possible shooting on NW Second Avenue and NW Couch Street. Once police arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound.
Officers gave trauma first aid to the victim until medical personnel could take over, police said. The man was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
When police arrived at the scene, they say the suspect had already fled.
During the investigation, NW 2nd Avenue was closed between W Burnside Street and NW Davis Street. NW Couch Street was also closed between NW 1st Avenue and NW 3rd Avenue.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Scott Broughton at Scott.Broughton@portlandoregon.gov (503) 823-3774 or Detective Rico Beniga at Rico.Beniga@portlandoregon.gov 503-823-0457.
Onslaught of shooting calls
According to PPB, there have been 89 shootings so far this year, injuring 21 people and killing seven.
The Old Town shooting was not the first of the day — nor was it the last. It was the fifth shots fired call out of seven that Portland police responded to within the last 24 hours.
Because of the onslaught of reported shootings, PPB says they will be “deploying additional resources this weekend to help address this concerning surge.”
Shooting No. 1
Shortly before 8 p.m. on Thursday evening, the East Precinct and Focused Intervention Team (FIT) officers responded to a shots fired call on Southeast Ogden Street. Although officers did not find anyone had been shot, one man sustained minor injuries from flying glass from his car being struck by a bullet. No one was arrested.
Police are investigating further. This shooting’s case number is 22-25701.
Shooting No. 2
A little more than two hours later, PPB responded to a reported shooting near Southeast 22nd Avenue and Southeast Stark Street. Gunfire evidence was discovered, but police did not find any damage or victims. However, they did arrest one person in the area on an unrelated warrant.
This incident’s case number is 22-25784.
Shooting No. 3
Another two hours later, an officer responded to a shooting at an automotive body shop on Northeast Columbia Boulevard, after a business owner confronted an alleged burglar and shot him in the leg.
The man who sustained the gunshot wound was sent to a local hospital but is expected to survive. No charges have been filed at this time.
This shooting’s case number is 22-25878.
Shooting No. 4
Twenty minutes after the body shop call, PPB responded to yet another reported shooting. Police received calls saying someone was shooting outside a convenience store on Northeast 60th Avenue and Northeast Prescott Street.
No injuries were reported. However, police say a gun was found nearby and over two dozen bullet casings were found at the scene.
Officers say they found the suspect, 39-year-old Lonnie Matos, and his “associate” near Northeast 55th Avenue and Northeast Wygant Street. Matos and the other individual were uncooperative, according to the PPB, but were ultimately taken into custody and now face charges including felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon, reckless endangerment, first-degree criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and menacing.
This shooting’s case number is 22-25899.
Shooting No. 5
Police responded to the deadly Old Town shooting after the incident in NE Portland. Officers then had a nine-hour respite before the next shooting call.
This fatal shooting’s case number is 22-25959.
Shooting No. 6
Around 11:18 a.m. on Friday morning, a man said he believes two shots were fired at him while driving west on Highway 26. He said someone from another car fired two shots at him just west of the Oregon Zoo interchange.
The man wasn’t injured, but his car was reportedly damaged. He reportedly told police there was some “road rage behavior” before the gunfire. No arrests have been made.
PPB did not provide a case number for this incident.
Shooting No. 7
The latest reported shooting occurred in broad daylight on Friday afternoon in the parking lot of a Southeast Portland Safeway.
Around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, a man was shot in the leg in the grocery store’s parking lot on Southeast 122nd Avenue. Police say the victim was taken inside the store, where Safeway employees used a belt as a makeshift tourniquet on his leg before paramedics made it to the scene. A Multnomah County deputy who was already in the area arrived at the store first and replaced the belt with a medical-grade tourniquet.
After Portland Police Bureau officers and medical personnel arrived, the man was sent to the hospital. He is expected to survive despite his injuries.
No arrests have been made and no suspect information has been released. This shooting’s case number is 22-26349.
Anyone who witnessed these incidents or has possible information about any of these incidents is urged to contact PPB by emailing crimetips@portlandoregon.gov with the corresponding case number.
