PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A man and woman were shot by federal agents in East Portland, Oregon on Thursday afternoon, resulting in federal authorities claiming the man had “weaponized his vehicle” against the federal agents at the scene and the city’s mayor demanding the halt of all ICE operations in the Rose City.
In a press conference Thursday evening, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called for an end to ICE operations in the city “until a full investigation can be completed.”
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek also spoke at the press event, saying she was in support of Wilson’s demand and that as of 6:45 p.m., she had still not heard from the federal government.
Local law enforcement confirmed investigators were at two scenes on Thursday afternoon, with the first being where the initial reports of a shooting happened just after 2:15 p.m. near the 10200 block of Southeast Main Street near Portland Adventist Hospital.
The second scene involved in the shooting was near Southeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside, about 3 miles away, which Portland police said they learned about roughly 10 minutes after the initial call for the shooting scene on Southeast Main Street.
At that scene, officers found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds, police said. They were taken to local hospitals, and their current conditions were unknown Thursday evening.
Portland police initially announced the shooting involved federal agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which was later confirmed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more,” said Portland Police Chief Bob Day.
FBI Portland shared a statement with Nexstar’s KOIN 6 News that they are “investigating an assault on a federal officers,” adding that “two assailants fled the scene immediately following the shooting and are currently being treated for their injuries.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement on X, claiming both shooting victims are affiliated with notable Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and alleged the driver “weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents.”
“The passenger of the vehicle and target is a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and involved in a recent shooting in Portland,” DHS said in a statement. “The vehicle driver is believed to be a member of the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents. Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene. This situation is evolving and more information is forthcoming.”
Officials say PPB officers have secured both scenes pending an investigation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed to KOIN 6 News it was leading the investigation into the shooting.
In further response to the shooting, a spokesperson for Adventist Health offered the following statement:
“According to the Portland Police Department, on Thursday, Jan. 8, law enforcement responded to an incident near a professional building on the Adventist Health Portland campus that houses several clinics and offices. Shots were fired, and police report that two people were injured and taken to another hospital. Portland Police have secured the area. Our clinics in the professional building near the incident have closed for the rest of the day. Adventist Health Portland hospital remains open.“
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, Portland City Council had to abruptly recess and then reconvened within the hour to receive a briefing on the shooting.
This shooting comes after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. The woman was later identified as 37-year-old mother and writer Renee Nicole Macklin Good.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem argued that the shooting was an act of self-defense against a woman who committed “domestic terrorism” by trying to run over officers.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey refuted officials’ claims of self defense, saying witness videos contradict those claims.
In a Wednesday press conference, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called for support from out-of-state residents, including those in Portland, in the aftermath of the deadly federal officer-involved shooting.