Gunshots shatter nearby driver’s windows

Officials say they know little about the fight that led up to the hail of bullets that flew outside the Canton Grill …

Police close down SE 82^nd Avenue of Roses, after shots are fired outside the Canton Grill restaurant.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

It was an ordinary evening on Sunday, April 12, as Justin Watson waited for a bus near the corner of SE 82^nd Avenue of Roses and Division Street.

But just after 10:00 p.m. that all changed – when gunshots rang out in front of Canton Grill, located at 2610 SE 82nd Avenue of Roses.

“First, I heard a lot of shouting,” Watson told East Portland News. “I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but a group of about five guys were having an argument of some kind. Then the shooting began.”

As officers continue searching for evidence, folded business cards mark the bullet casings found on the sidewalk and in the street.

Vehicles, including some high-end SUVs, pulled out of the restaurant’s parking lot, and headed away in all directions, Watson said.

“One guy, tall and thin with dreadlocks, was shooting (north), and stepped out in the street, I think to get a better shot, and fired a couple of more times,” added Watson.

As the investigation continues, officers confer about their findings.

Within a minute of dispatch, the first Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct District patrol car arrived at the scene. Within twelve minutes, fifteen additional units pulled up.

“Officers were told that a group of five African American males, in their late teens, were involved in an argument before the gunshots were fired,” confirmed PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Pete Simpson.

Police didn’t find the suspects, Simpson said.

The rear window of this car, driven by a non-involved passerby, was hit by the bullets during the incident.

But officers did locate a Chevrolet Cavalier, apparently caught in the crossfire on SE 82^nd Avenue of the Roses, just north of the restaurant, with a shattered rear window.

“The driver of that car was not injured,” Simpson said. “And, we’ve had no reports of gunshot victims seeking medical attention.”

With the street shut down to traffic, officers carefully inspected the area, and located several gun shell casings on the sidewalk, in the street, and in the gutter.

Officers continue to look for clues and evidence in this shooting.

Officials have not said whether or not they believe this case is gang-related. This case remains under investigation.

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