PORTLAND, Ore. — A 58-year-old man has been charged with killing three people last week in Northeast Portland.
Brett Edward Pruett was arrested Saturday and faces three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of first-degree burglary and one-count of second-degree assault with a firearm.
Pruett is accused of shooting and killing three people near Northeast 122nd Avenue and Russell Street last Friday night, July 17. Portland police officers were called to a home shortly after 10 p.m. Two adjacent homes were taped off and traffic was shut down for several hours as police investigated.
Police on Monday identified as 77-year-old Lawrence Murphy, 45-year-old Elmer E. Hughes, and 40-year-old Tashia Cobb. The medical examiner's office determined all three were killed by gunfire.
The district attorney’s office said Pruett, a convicted felon, also used a weapon to injure a woman the night before the triple homicide.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Portland police Detective Anthony Merrill at 503-823-4033 or anthony.merrill@portlandoregon.gov, or Detective Brad Clifton at 503-823-0696.
