Portland Police Bureau officers are currently on scene after a fatal drive-by shooting at NW 5th Ave & Everett where they confirmed a man died from traumatic injuries.
According to a PPB report, officers responded just after 10:20 p.m. They located a damaged white Mercury sedan, which had crashed into a small electrical box and a green Ford pickup truck after witnesses said they heard gunfire. Community members tried reviving the driver while they waited for emergency medical technicians, but their efforts were unsuccessful. PPB detectives have launched a homicide investigation. The victim’s name is not being officially released until his next of kin are identified.
At the @PortlandPolice media point. PPB is (obviously) too busy to speak pic.twitter.com/HYvZEmF6GG
— Andrew D. Jankowski (@AndrewJank) September 8, 2017
According to the Twitter account @pdxalerts, a non-agency Twitter account that often breaks local news alerts:
Update 5th/Everett Shooting – suspect vehicle described as newer, silver Ford Edge with oversized wheels
— Portland OR Alerts (@pdxalerts) September 8, 2017
Chris Ettrick, a standup comedian and neighborhood resident, arrived home roughly half an hour after police arrived on the scene. Ettrick’s artist loft overlooks a section of NW Everett between Broadway and 6th Ave. where Ettrick documented police laying down evidence identification numbers. “I should probably get arrested for everything I can hear,” he joked, “but if I hadn’t gone out tonight or if I had been driven home instead of taken the MAX, I might have been home and heard the whole thing. I’ve already cried twice.”
Ettrick says that his neighborhood, which historically has a large and disruptive houseless population, has become more violent and dangerous in the past months. “I saw five people fighting on that same block on my way to work this morning,” Ettrick said, referring to the same stretch of Everett where the drive-by is believed to have taken place. Other social media users compared the drive-by with the recent violent deaths of Ryan Thompson two weeks ago, in August, and Jacob Shroyer a.k.a. DJ Jakob Jay in May of this year, along with violent but non-lethal crimes like theft, vandalism and harassment.
“People need to pay more attention to this part of town. There are children that live in this loft, and it shouldn’t be on us to be afraid to go outside when we pay rent, and have this amazing creative space that adds to the city,” Ettrick said, “when the city blatantly ignores Chinatown and the many vagrants, gang members and drug dealers that loiter down 6th.”
“Literally from the train station to Burnside, it’s a gauntlet of crime and drugs,” Ettrick said.
All vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic is blocked from NW 4th Ave to NW Broadway Ave. and NW Davis St to NW Flanders St. until further notice. Officers are reportedly allowing limited access to residents in the immediate area, but prohibiting witnesses and residents from leaving the area.
Officers ask anyone with information to contact the PPB Non-Emergency Line tonight at 503-823-3333, or the Detective Division tomorrow at 503-823-0400.
Updated 12:15 p.m.: The 10:43 a.m. traffic update was not verified and is incorrect. Portland State Vanguard regrets the error.
Updated 11:52 a.m.: Traffic is moving through the area again. Story was updated to include neighborhood resident quotes. One quote was edited for clarity.
Updated 10:43 a.m.: The bloc of streets closed off in Old Town last night are still closed to pedestrians, vehicles and TriMet operations. Ettrick is among the residents still not allowed to leave their apartment buildings.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as they become available.
