Portland shootings have more than doubled this year

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — As Portland struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic and nightly protests during 2020, shootings in Oregon’s largest city also more than doubled this year.

KOIN reports that Portland logged about 900 shootings, compared to 393 shootings in all of 2019. In December, so far, there have been seven homicides.  

Authorities and some experts say there is no one clear-cut reason for the spike. They instead point to upheaval caused by the COVID-19 virus, public sentiment toward police following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody and a historic shortage of jobs and resources in poorer communities as contributing factors.