PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell released statements on Monday following a Centennial neighborhood shooting late Sunday night that killed one teenager and injured three.
“Gun violence took the life of a teenage boy last night and left three others injured. I am relentlessly focused on finding solutions to this crisis. I send my deepest condolences to the victims and their families,” Wheeler said in a social media post.
The shooting happened around 8:40 p.m. near 162nd Avenue and SE Stark. According to PPB, one male was killed and three other boys – who are under 18 – were injured. One of them was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the other two sustained non-life threating injuries.
In a letter sent to families, David Douglas School District said two of the victims — including the teen who died — were students at the district.
“We are holding the families of all four victims deep in our thoughts, and we acknowledge that this is a traumatic event for all who know them, including both staff and students, whether former or current,” the district said.
In a video posted to social media, Wheeler also described plans to address gun violence in Portland saying “this problem requires the community working together, and it also requires increased attention and investments in public safety at the federal and state level.”
Wheeler went on to explain the city lacks resources when it comes to addressing gun violence.
“The bottom line is we’re significantly under-resourced as a local community to solve these crimes. We have a shortage of investigators, detective, officers, prosecutors and public defenders,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler also noted over 1,000 shootings were reported last year and said “only a fraction” led to criminal prosecutions.
Meanwhile, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell also posted a statement on social media on Monday. Chief Lovell said in part “we have a public health crisis in this city and the trajectory of gun violence is unacceptable. We are doing our best with our Focused Intervention Team, Enhanced Community Safety Team and directed patrol missions. Officers continue to make arrests and take guns off the street.”
Chief Lovell also pointed out “we continue to look for additional ways to counteract this violence. But it’s going to take more than police and we need the larger community and our partners to assist in turning these trends around to see a safer Portland.”
Sunday night’s shooting comes as Wheeler and other city officials held a press conference last month on the city’s efforts toward ending gun violence.
During the press conference, Wheeler said despite homicides pacing record highs, police reform like the Focus Intervention Team is working.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Kirsten Snowden added that gun violence is the office’s top priority as it’s become a “public health crisis.”
Snowden and Lovell also noted 2022 is on track to surpass the previous record for gun violence cases.