PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One man was shot to death near Dawson Park in North Portland Tuesday afternoon, in broad daylight and not far from a playground.
Gunfire rang out around 2:25 p.m in the 2900 block of North Williams, police said. When officers arrived they found the man on the sidewalk. He was later identified as 42-year-old Titus L. McNack.
Investigators believe “several people” were in Dawson Park who left before the police arrived.
Anyone with information is asked to call PPB Detective Rico Beniga at Rico.Beniga@portlandoregon.gov or 503.823.0457 or Detective Jennifer Hertzler at Jennifer.Hertzler@portlandoregon.gov or 503.823.1040.
Mayor Wheeler arrives at the scene
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who is also the police commissioner, arrived at the scene around 4:30 p.m. He spoke with the gathered media and laid out the concerns about this shooting and all the shootings happening in the city.
“It’s a community tragedy and I think we all have a role to play,” Wheeler said. The mayor noted this shooting took place near a playground and the tragedy could have been much worse.
“We all have a role to play to solve conflict with other means.”
With the new police response teams in place, Wheeler said every shooting now gets the attention it deserves.
“This clearly is an emergency,” Wheeler said. “When we have this many shootings, this many homicides, record numbers of shootings throughout Portland — This is our top public safety concern.”
Wheeler said he often speaks with the families of crime victims, and while it’s not a role he relishes, he understands the importance of those meetings.
“I know the community is deeply traumatized by these events,” the mayor said. “I want the public to know that they have my commitment that we are increasing the resources available to both intervene and prevent this kind of violence.”
Those resources are multi-faceted, Wheeler said. PPB is working with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon State Police and federal agencies, and he said the city is also focused on ways to stop the violence before it happens.
“You’re also seeing us work with the faith community, community groups, the office of violence prevention, Multnomah County’s programs around public health and intervention. We’re all working together in ways we’ve never worked together before.”