Gun violence reaching record highs

Posted April 18, 2022

By Long Le and Aaron Do

Cub Investigative Reporters

Gun violence in Portland is rapidly increasing in numbers and is on the way to surpassing the record high numbers of 2021.

Gun violence has almost tripled from 2019 to 2021. These numbers are showing no signs of slowing down, with the evidence that just during this January alone police have documented 128 shootings, which far outweighs that of last year. The Portland Police Bureau has created a Focused Intervention Team dedicated to addressing gun violence, but the team was occupied with concerns from the prior Gang Enforcement and Gun Violence Reduction Teams that were accused of racial profiling. A Focus Intervention Team (FIT) is made up of 12 officers and two sergeants; the team works with the Mayor's Office to provide information about the ongoing gun violence.

In 2020, Oregon was ranked 13 for firearm mortality rates, according to the CDC. The total for 2021 shootings is 1,319. That number is six times that of the San Francisco shootings in 2021. NBC reported the number of Portland victims who suffered gun violence was 222. America as a whole suffers from gun violence, as the BBC stated. In 2019, 14,400 gun-related homicides in the US accounted for nearly three-quarters of all gun-related homicides that year; 73% of gun-related homicides. In comparison, Canada was second with 39%, Australia was third with 22%; England and Wales were fourth with 4%. The U.S.'s 73% equates to 10,512 gun-related homicides in 2019 alone.

“One [problem] is the accessibility to guns and our criminal justice system is broken,” said AP Psychology and Global Studies teacher Scott Cashdollar.

The Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood reported 96 shootings from January 2021 to 2022. The Lents Neighborhood reported 83 shootings during the same period. Single mother Stacy Kidd is fearful for her life and the life of her two-year-old. She started making a list, just in case, of her son's favorite food so if anyone found her son alive after she was killed, reported KGW News 8.

If this continues Portland city residents may witness another year of record-high gun violence. Chief Nigel Powell stated that the city is averaging about 25 shootings per week. If this continues, the city is on pace for 1500 shootings at the end of the year. At least 92 Oregonians were killed by homicide in Portland in 2021, exceeding the previous record of 70. Three-quarters of those were victims of gun violence, stated The Oregonian, tragedies like those of Domic Jacoby, the artist Karen Friedstorm, Thomas Smith, Mark Johnson, and Adagu G. Duop. Duop was one of the more tragic of the shootings. Duop was a mother of two, and a Sudan refugee. She was shot and killed in a vehicle with her family. Her husband was shot, and put into serious condition but expected to survive, their 1-year-old, was shot in the leg, and 5-year-old was shot in the. A tragedy that left Portland’s immigrant and refugee community grieving and two children motherless and heartbroken. Reported Mike Benner from KGW8 news.

“I heard on the news that more and more teenagers are involved in shooting, some of them are former students, some may be current students, some of those may have been David Douglas students that were involved in past and present shooting,” said security officer William Herrera.

Over the span of 12 months, KGW has found that there have been nearly a dozen fatal shootings near homeless areas in Portland. Solving crimes involving homeless people are more difficult to solve because those experiencing poverty are reluctant to work with police whether or not they are a victim.