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Portland Police troubled by number of shootings to start 2021

There have been more than 30 shootings in the first week-and-a-half of 2021.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The second weekend of January 2021 was a busy one for the Portland Police Bureau. Officers responded to five shootings between Saturday morning and Sunday night.

"The pace hasn't slowed down going into the new year as everyone hoped it would," said Officer Derek Carmon.

Carmon says on Saturday afternoon somebody was shot near North Interstate and North Going. 

At 3:30 a.m. Sunday, a 32-year-old man walked into a hotel on Southwest Naito claiming to have been shot while in a car. 

An hour later, a 65-year-old woman was shot in the foot as two people tried to steal a car outside of her home on North Wall.

"People should feel safe in their own home and not have a fear of being struck by a bullet," said Carmon.

According to Carmon, just before 6 a.m. Sunday, officers arrested a man for firing a rifle in an apartment building on Southeast Morrison. Nobody was hurt, but some of the bullets did go into neighboring apartments. Authorities also found a bunch of guns, body armor and a magazine of more than 50 rounds on the suspect.

Credit: Portland Police Bureau
Officers seized a rifle at the scene of a shooting on SE Morrison.

Before the weekend ended a man and woman were shot at a vigil on Northeast 125th Place. Officers recovered more than 20 casings at the scene.

"You would think that going into the new year, looking at all of the terrible events of 2020, people would be looking for a better future in 2021 and there are still, unfortunately, individuals set on hurting and killing other human beings," said Carmon.

Carmon says in the first week-and-a-half of 2021, there have been more than 30 shootings. That compares to 50 shootings in all of January 2020. Some believe disbanding the Gun Violence Reduction Team is to blame.

"You have to take that into account, somewhat," said Carmon. "Certainly there are other things at play. Mostly you have to take into account the people intent on doing harm in the community."

It is the community that law enforcement hopes will help end gun violence. Authorities are calling on people to be upstanders instead of bystanders.

"We need them to be involved and call us and be good witnesses," said Carmon. "Tell us what's happening in the community."

PPB has updated its website so now you can look up shooting statistics in any Portland neighborhood.

RELATED: 7 homicides in December add to deadly toll of violence in Portland this year

RELATED: 'The possibilities are chilling': Numerous rounds fired inside SE Portland apartment

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