PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man riding a scooter opened fire in Downtown Portland on Sunday morning, shooting and injuring another man who had attempted to escape.
Witness Greg Podolec said he ventured downtown for brunch when he saw the shooting at Southwest Second and Morrison Street.
“It was like ‘pow, pow pow,’” Podolec said. “As soon as we turned around the corner, instantly I saw a guy on a scooter chasing another guy holding a four-foot metal pole.”
Podolec said the man running away with the pole vigorously shook the door of a building, trying to get inside.
“I could tell by the look on his face that he was running for his life,” Podolec said.
The man with the scooter caught up to the door, where he allegedly shot the man attempting to escape.
Podolec said he and two other bystanders wrapped a leather belt around the wound while using Podolec’s knife to cut the man’s pants for better access to the wound until medical authorities arrived.
Police say they arrested a man on Monday near the intersection of Southwest 4th Avenue and Washington Street who they later recognized from videos of the incident. Officers allege the man was selling drugs at the time of his arrest.
The suspect, a 16-year-old juvenile, is currently held on several drug charges, according to Portland police. Authorities have yet to release the suspect’s name to the public, and the shooting investigation remains ongoing.
KOIN.com will report further updates about the suspect and shooting incident as Portland police release information.
Podolec said that though the shock of the incident has worn off, he will not visit Downtown Portland anytime soon.
“It made me feel like I’ve finally become a part of the gun violence in Portland, or I’ve been affected by the gun violence for the first time,” Podolec said.
Five weeks into 2023, Portland Police have reported 104 confirmed shootings in the city. In total, 32 people have been shot and injured, and four have been shot and killed.
Mayor Ted Wheeler issued an emergency declaration amid the gun violence crisis in 2022.
According to Wheeler’s office, the money allocated from this declaration has gone toward recruitment efforts among Portland Police. The city has also funded lighting enhancements to help deter crime.