PORTLAND, Ore. — A woman is mourning the death of her father, who was shot and killed while working as a security guard in Portland's Central Eastside.
Shortly after 1 a.m. on July 7, dozens of shots were fired near Southeast 9th Avenue and Ankeny Street, Portland police said. Walter Mulberry, 49, was shot and killed. A second victim, a 17-year-old boy, was also shot but is expected to survive his injuries. Portland police believe the suspect, or suspects, fired from a moving vehicle towards a group on the sidewalk.
"We had gotten a call from my aunt who actually lives out there," said Emily Shute, Mulberry's daughter. "She called my mom and told her what happened. She was like, 'I know it was Walter. He was working that night.'"
Shute, who lives in Kansas, said the medical examiner asked her to identify her father based on his tattoos.
She describes her father as a selfless and kind person who loved the outdoors, his family and his life. Shute said he had been saving up money to make a trip to see her and her children.
"He was very much looking forward to coming out here to Kansas to meet his grandkids. I just had two beautiful babies and he was planning on coming out here to meet them," Shute said.
Those plans, now cut short, have been replaced with grief and terrible loss.
"He was a real person. He had a family, he wanted to live," said Shute. "He had a daughter. He has grandkids that he's never going to get to meet now. He had a dog, you know? He had a life. He had siblings. He had parents. He had an entire life and it's gone."
More Than A Number aims to help give a face and a voice to victims and families impacted by tragedies. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a homicide and would like to share your story, you can reach out to us by sending an email to morethananumber@kgw.com.