PORTLAND, Ore. — A man is in serious condition after he was shot and his tent was set on fire Thursday morning along North Interstate Avenue in Portland. Portland police confirmed the man was homeless.
Police responded to the reported shooting in the area of North Interstate Avenue near Overlook Park at 11:42 a.m. Thursday and found a man who had been shot. Paramedics and firefighters also responded to provide trauma first aid to the victim and to put out the fire.
The victim was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Police said he's expected to survive. He has not been identified.
The suspect left the scene by the time police arrived. No arrests have been made and police provided no suspect information.
The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Major Crimes Unit and Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigation Unit responded to the scene. During the investigation, the right lane of the southbound I-5 interchange to southbound I-405 was blocked but has since reopened.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to email crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case No. 23-4196.
Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers cash rewards of up to $2,500 cash for information that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony. Tipsters can remain anonymous. Report a tip online here.
Portland has seen an increase in violent crime over the past three years, including shootings. In 2019, there were 413 shootings in Portland. The city set new records for shootings in the next two years with 920 in 2020 and 1,315 in 2021, according to data compiled by Portland police. There were 1,308 shootings in 2022, according to a police spokesperson. He said the 2022 numbers are preliminary; analysts won't have the official data for several weeks.
