PORTLAND-- A Portland man is charged with two counts of murder in connection with an outbreak of violence among roommates at a home in Southeast Portland Saturday night.
The suspect's best friend, 19-year-old Giovanni Jorgensen, also lives in the home.
I'm pretty much the only other one who was there, said Jorgensen. He said the violence erupted after he and his roommates started arguing over a stolen cell phone SIM card. It should have been a fist fight, but some people come more prepared.
He claims 20-year-old William Cole McCamman jumped into the fight to protect him and ended up pulling out a pistol and killing 32-year-old Josh Smith on the lawn outside on the home.
Background: Two killed in Southeast Portland
He said the victim's mother, 54-year-old Tamara Smith, also lived in the home and it wasn't long before she became the second shooting victim.
She wouldn't let him out, Jorgensen said. She was kind of attacking him saying, 'You killed my son.' It was kind of sad.
He said McCamman then put away the pistol and picked up a sawed-off shotgun that was in the house, located near the intersection of SE 136th Avenue and SE Harold Street.
She was calling the cops and would not let him leave and blocked the doorway, Jorgensen said. He told her, 'Please get out of the doorway,' and then 'boom,' he got her out of the doorway.
Portland homicide detectives were on the scene Saturday night and Sunday morning, so Jorgensen spent the night with a friend.He returned home Sunday afternoon to the shocking realization of what had happened.
Two people died over a SIM card, he said. I just can't justify it.
Jorgensen said all three of his roommates were gone. Two were killed and a third - his best friend since second grade - was facing two counts of first-degree murder.
An eviction notice had been served at the property on Friday.
McCamman appeared in court Monday, charged with two counts of aggravated murder.
The incident was one of three reported shootings in Portland over the weekend. A man was shot during a robbery in his home Saturday evening and a drive-by shooting near a Portland bar left two people injured early Sunday morning.
