‘It’s really scary’: Police investigate 2 deadly St. Johns neighborhood shootings
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The suspect in one of two deadly shootings within three days in the St. Johns neighborhood was found dead Tuesday, according to Portland police.
Authorities say the man they believe shot 39-year-old Duresa Kuri Tibeso around 6:28 p.m. on Tuesday was killed from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a parking lot at 3200 Northwest Pittock Drive around 9:30 p.m.
The Portland Police Bureau has yet to release the identity of the suspect, but says he was likely the man who killed Tibeso and seriously injured another victim that night.
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Tibeso had been found at tractor-trailer parking lot at 10100 North Portland Road, where officers say they used tourniquets to try to stop the bleeding. Despite their efforts, he later died at a local hospital — making his death the 61st homicide and the 52nd caused by gunfire in Portland this year.
Within 15 minutes, police say another man was found shot near Northeast Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and Northeast Russell Street. He was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries but survived.
In a press release sent Wednesday, PPB said they have taken precautions to avoid further violence in the area.
“The suspect and victims are from the Ethiopian immigrant community, and concern spread quickly that the suspect may target additional members of the community,” officials said. “Officers quickly identified restaurants and other businesses within that community that may be targeted. Patrol Officers proactively fanned out to those locations to prevent further violence.”
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PPB’s investigation came after the community’s concern grew due to the proximity of Tibeso’s shooting to another fatal shooting that took place nearby just three days before.
Tibeso’s murder took place less than three miles away from where Tyrae Hernandez, 30, was shot to death near Cathedral Park on Sunday. Officers found Hernandez 30 minutes later when a family member discovered her in the parking lot, where she died. Later that day, a car associated with Hernandez was found burned on Northeast Marine Drive near McGuire Island.
It is unclear whether these two shootings are connected, but officials say it’s rare to have two fatal shootings in such close proximity.
“We understand how concerning these recent shootings are to the community, but fortunately, it is rare to have two fatal shootings within days and blocks of each other,” PPB said in a statement on Wednesday. “Rest assured, homicide detectives with the Portland Police Bureau are working hard to learn what happened and make arrests where appropriate.”
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Those living and working in Saint Johns say it’s terrifying.
“So my concern is like there’s someone loose that’s shooting people,” Shannon, a local resident, said. “I don’t know if it’s one person or two people. I’d like to know the backstory of the people that did get shot to see. But yeah, it’s really scary because we don’t know what’s going on and it’s just petrifying.”
Police are asking anyone with details on these shootings to contact Detective Michael Schmerber at michael.schmerber@police.portlandoregon.gov (reference Case No. 23-288810); Detective Calvin Goldring at calvin.goldring@police.portlandoregon.gov (phone: 503-823-0256); and Detective Rico Beniga at rico.beniga@police.portlandoregon.gov (phone: 503-823-0457).
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