PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland Police Bureau has finished the on-scene investigation of Saturday night’s deadly shooting in Downtown Portland, but many questions are still unanswered.
PPB said homicide detectives have been navigating through dozens of videos of the shooting circulating across social media. Investigators have urged anyone that was a witness or has a video to contact detectives immediately.
“It is still early in this investigation, and I ask everyone to give the detectives time to do their important work before drawing conclusions about what took place,” said Police Chief Chuck Lovell in a release early Sunday. “If anyone can provide information about this case, I ask them to please reach out to our detectives. This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible.”
One person was shot and killed near clashes between supporters of President Donald Trump and counter-protesters on Saturday night during a “Trump 2020 Cruise Rally” that started earlier in the afternoon in the Portland area.
KOIN 6 News witnessed two men yelling and having an altercation near SW 3rd and Alder around 8:45 p.m. Someone sprayed mace and then someone pulled out a gun. KOIN 6 News heard shots fired. A wounded man was seen on the ground and the suspect took off running, according to witnesses.
Police confirmed just before 9:30 p.m. that the victim, who was shot in the chest, had died. According to the Associated Press, the shooting victim was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past.
In the two hours following the shooting, protesters gathered downtown and there was sporadic fighting and vandalism, police said. Some gave speeches in Lownsdale Square Park before the protest petered out.
PPB reported ten people were arrested following Saturday night’s chaos.
Sunday afternoon, a Department of Justice spokesperson confirmed that the FBI and the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting PPB in the investigation.
On Sunday, Trump issued a flurry of tweets and retweets including several that blamed Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler for the death and one in which the president appeared to be encouraging his supporters to move into Portland.
“GREAT PATRIOTS!” Trump wrote as he shared video of his supporters driving into Portland to confront the protesters.
Later Sunday afternoon, while Mayor Wheeler held a press conference to address the shooting, Trump continued tweeting.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blamed local officials for failing “to protect their communities.”
“I’m asking Portland officials, so that’s the mayor, that’s the governor and that’s local law enforcement, to do their job to address any violent activity that is occurring in their streets,” Wolf told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.