It's Portland's first triple homicide of the year. Officers were dispatched at 12:23 p.m. for a shooting at North Foss Avenue and Foss Court.
PREVIOUS STORY | Portland Police: Three dead following shooting in North Portland
Police say when they arrived, they located three victims in a tan-colored car. Medics also responded and determined all three were dead at the scene.
Officials say the suspect or suspects left the area before police were dispatched and were not immediately located.
Portland Police Homicide Unit along with the Enhanced Community Safety Team, Focused Intervention Team, Crisis Response Team, and Forensic Evidence Division all responded to what police say is a “pretty significant crime scene.”
KATU also spoke with neighbors around the area who said the gunshots were unmistakable.
"I just got woken up to just tons of blast of gunfire," said Jaryn Barton, a neighbor, "I heard probably about 10 to 15 gunshots. Within about 5 minutes, I heard sirens and I saw police arriving outside."
"I just like heard like some of them," said Avery Bradford, a neighbor, "my grandma was telling me about it and she was like, I heard shooting and I heard shots!"
And to eventually learn three people were killed, was devastating news, "sad," said Cindy Jones, a neighbor, "really just sad, you know, to, to learn about what happened. They've got their whole lives ahead of them."
Neighbors tell KATU they think the city can be doing more but at this point they don't know what can be done.
Neighbors also said this is usually a quiet neighborhood until today, "and now the uneasiness starts back up again," said Jones.
"I definitely would not walk out here for at least a week or two, possibly just in case," said Bradford.
“This shooting in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood is another tragic example of how gun violence can affect our community terribly,” said Chief Chuck Lovell, who responded to the scene. “I’m grateful to the PPB members who responded to this shocking incident. I’m also briefing Mayor Wheeler’s office on the investigation. I encourage anyone who has information about this shooting to reach out to our detectives.”
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt issued a statement on the shooting Saturday afternoon.
"The loss of three people to gun violence today is a tragedy and an unimaginable loss to their families and communities. Two of my deputy district attorneys are on scene and actively working the case with PPB detectives. While we are in the very early stages of investigation, my office will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice and to provide support to the families during what is likely the worst moment of their lives.” Schmidt added, “This loss magnifies the gun violence crisis facing our communities, and I remain committed to working with law enforcement partners to address prevention and to hold those responsible for gun violence accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mayor Ted Wheeler also issued a statement on Twitter about this shooting:
If anyone has information about this case, please contact Detective Jason Koenig at Jason.Koenig@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0889 or Detective William Winters at William.Winters@police.portlandoregon.gov 503-823-0466. Please reference case #23-77440.