Opinion: To fight gun violence, we must focus on problems upstream
Updated Feb 02, 2021;
Janelle Bynum, Rachel Prusak and Teresa Alonso León
Bynum, D-Clackamas, represents House District 51 in the Oregon Legislature and chairs the House Judiciary Committee. Prusak, D-West Linn, represents House District 37 and chairs the House Health Care Committee. Alonso León, D-Woodburn, represents District 22 and chairs the House Education Committee.
Over the last several months, we have seen a spike in gun violence incidents in Portland, which recorded its deadliest year in a quarter century.
Too many of these incidents involved adolescent Black youth as victims, friends and family members. Ja’mere Brown, 18; Abdushukri Uren, 16; Jaelin James Scott, 16; Mister Ford, 19; Julian Heredia, 19; and Shai’India Harris, 18, all lost their lives to gun violence.
The city has documented 858 separate shootings throughout the year. Author: Pat Dooris Updated: 8:19 PM PST December 18, 2020
PORTLAND, Oregon
Portland has had more homicides in 2020 than any other year in the past 27 years.
Fifty-two people died by homicide in the city, the most since 1993 when 54 people were killed.
The killings come at a time the city is wracked by gun violence.
The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) reports that since Jan.1, there were 858 separate shooting incidents in which 224 people were hit by bullets, including those who died.
This week alone, five people were killed.
The most recent involved a woman shot and killed in front of her husband, according to District Attorney Mike Schmidt. It happened Thursday night near Legacy Emanuel hospital in Northeast Portland.