Two days after a suspect or suspects shot and killed three people in a North Portland neighborhood, people living there are still fearful.
Portland police say three people were shot and killed inside of a car on North Foss Avenue near North Foss Court and University Park Saturday at around 12:30 p.m.
Investigators are still searching for suspects and have not released the identities of the victims.
Flowers and balloons now mark the spot in the Portsmouth neighborhood where the three victims were killed.
Neighbors heard dozens of gunshots ring out from inside their homes.
“I heard a bunch of what sounded like fireworks, didn’t think much of it, saw some cop cars come flying down later," said Micaiah Phillips who lives close to University Park.
His next-door neighbor came out immediately after she heard the shots.
She said she was too afraid to speak to KATU in a recorded interview, but she told us off-camera she saw three people running away from the scene right after the shooting.
She says they ran onto Hunt Street where they got into a car that was parked there and sped off.
The neighbor told KATU she's used to hearing gunfire in the summer months in the area, but not usually at this time of year.
She said she even spoke to some people Saturday who reported hearing bullets whiz by their head at the time -- at least two blocks away from the actual shooting.
Phillips said he and his family regularly walk over to nearby University Park and worries about what could've happened if they had been there Saturday around that time.
"We walk our dog down here every day right past that spot, so you know the thought that we could be right there when it happened is also concerning for sure,” he said.
KATU reached out to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler's office and the city's Office of Violence Prevention asking for interviews with city leaders Monday.
They didn't grant KATU's interview requests but sent us a statement laying out several things they're doing to prevent gun violence including awarding $500,000 grants to community-based violence prevention partners.
"My team and I have been in regular communication with the Portland Police Bureau and our public safety partners. We have deployed additional police personnel from the Enhanced Community Safety Team, Homicide Unit & Focused Intervention Team to investigate and provide further assistance. Staff from the Office of Violence Prevention and outreach partners continue to meet with those who have been impacted by this violence. We have also redeployed street level outreach teams to connect with community members and interrupt further safety disruptions," Wheeler said as part of the statement.
Here is the full statement from the Office of Violence Prevention:
Our community suffered a tragic loss last Saturday when three people lost their lives to gun violence in North Portland.
While the Portland Police Bureau continues their investigation into the shooting, the City’s Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) has been working closely with culturally specific organizations to provide appropriate and compassionate wrap-around services for the families affected by this tragedy. These organizations include IRCO, Going Home II, POIC, Global Movement Network and the African Refugee and Immigrant Organization.
However, OVP recognizes these services alone are not enough to address the root causes of gun violence in our community. There is demand, now more than ever, to keep street level outreach and violence prevention programs funded.
Just last week, the Office of Violence Prevention, alongside Mayor Ted Wheeler and the Community Safety Division, awarded $500,000 to 5 community-based partners. These groups have lived experience, access, credibility and a willingness to address Portland’s gun violence with street level outreach workers and credible messengers.
Community-based organizations continue to show up every single day to make a difference, and OVP is proud to work with them toward a safer Portland.
In the future, OVP and the City of Portland plan to prioritize collaboration with a variety of organizations, including county, state, faith-based, school, and community-based groups, to more effectively reduce gun violence in our community.
Statement from Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler:
The murder of three people over the weekend is still an active investigation and we continue to seek information from the public to bring justice to those impacted by this tragedy. As such, we are limited in the information we are able to provide at this time. My team and I have been in regular communication with the Portland Police Bureau and our public safety partners. We have deployed additional police personnel from the Enhanced Community Safety Team, Homicide Unit & Focused Intervention Team to investigate and provide further assistance. Staff from the Office of Violence Prevention and outreach partners continue to meet with those who have been impacted by this violence. We have also redeployed street level outreach teams to connect with community members and interrupt further safety disruptions.