Goes to show... They skip a lot of the violent incidents to play gossip videos. I used to follow 911 dispatch feed and heard shots fired lots of times expecting to see something the next day in the news but nope.

One could assume it was another Sam Adams car steering problem.

It was Rose Festival performance art by The Thin Blue Flash Mob.

Newspapers may choose not to publish a story that either a) lowers property values, or b) the local government would prefer they not emphasize. Afterall, this is Portland, where appearance means everything to politicians and planners.

Why should the old media bite the hand that feeds it?

Jack, what would it take to influence what you post? Would Amanda Fritz's $25,000 given out over a year do anything?

I work for the Bureau you love to hate. We are not all bad you know. I even read your blog, I must be ok :)
When I got to work last night, found out there was another shooting about 8PM between several people. No one was hit, but evidence was collected. Lots of these don't make the news........go figure......

I will not say whether or not a formal or informal "hush" policy regarding shootings or near shootings is good or bad because I have never heard an informed debate on the subject, but for the record: for six months in 1994 (April to October)I worked for the Youth Employment Institute (YEI) of the Private Industry Council (PIC) in programs directed toward "gang affected" youth. In such capacity I got to know both gangsters and cops active in North and Northeast Portland during what we now know to have been one of the worst eras of gang related violence (read: gun play)in the history of the city. Both cops and robbers regularly told me the same story, supported by anecdote: EVERY NIGHT in the spring and summer of 1994, somebody was "blasting caps" in the gang zones at somebody else. Most shots missed their targets and, as I later learned in 2003 when I moved to a house not far from Killingsworth and Albina, recognized by the cops as the hottest corner in Portland during the bad old days, although most shots fired are reported by citizens to 911, by the time the police respond, it is all over but the gun smoke. No witnesses, no suspects. Just dark, empty street corners and blocks. I still live in my house in the dead zone and can tell you with certainty that even in this season of crazy gun play, I VIRTUALLY NEVER hear shots fired any more. When I moved in, I heard them several nights each week. I should also note that, consistent with "community policing" recommendations, I call 911 every time I hear shots. Two things are consistent about those calls: the question protocol, which I consider to be thorough and informed, and the fact the dispatcher will unfailingly offer a remark like "we've already gotten several calls about that one." So I am left with the impression that both citizens and police are paying attention but, really, what the hell can any of us do when some 17 year old jackass spontaneously decides to blow a couple of rounds at an equally idiotic 18 year old over a girl? Or maybe the floating crap game at the corner of Haight and Emerson that stops as quickly as it starts and has already resulted in at least one documented shooting death? And finally, a story and a question: last night I was feeling very stressed out and succumbed to temptation by driving to the Chevron at Fremont and MLK at 2:45am to drop a dollar on two "loosies," my last mind altering vice. Some bad shit was going down when I got there - looked like a team in two cars were trying to con the Mexican pump jockey over a gas purchase. There was a lot of feigned outrage in the air as these guys tried to get out of paying for gas so I got my smokes and got the hell out of there as fast as I could. As i drove down Fremont toward Williams blowing smoke out of the window of my van, one of the cars that had been at the station came speeding up behind me, passed me and made a wild turn onto Cleveland. What the hell - I followed him, but by the time I made the corner, I could just see his taillights turning right onto Shaver. I picked up the pace a bit to see what would happen next when, lo and behold, shots fired. I stopped the car at that point to give the shooters some time to get on their way, and by the time I made it to Shaver, all I could see to my right was the lonely red light at MLK four blocks down. Anybody read about that one anywhere but here? Probably not. Just another bang bang on a spring night in the 'hood. And what is a cop to do about that...?

Go Cozmic Ed! I wish to remain ignorant about you being distressed and going out for a "loosies" at the wee hours in Portland. I'm pretty sure I will never runout of gas on the freeway through Portland, but I keep my baseball bat handy in case I break down. I left North Portland years ago and only return downtown to pay the judge for "photo radar speeding" through crime/residential areas. I'm just paranoid: "my sustainability"

Good story Ed.

As a longtime neighbor just a bit east of MLK, I used to often hear gunfire on summer nights. I got into the habit of counting the rounds then looking at the nightstand clock. In the morning, I would check the paper to see what the police reported. Often they were wrong. The coppers counted the empty cases they found, while I counted the gunshots. Only once did I hear return fire. That night pistol shots earned a shotgun reply.

Considering their rate of fire, I am amazed that anyone is ever hit. If the bangers would slow down a bit, align their sites, and learn to squeeeeeeeze the trigger, there would be far fewer of these cretins flinging stray rounds into the homes of civilized folk.

By the way, I don't think it was gang enforcement teams that slowed down the gunfire. I think it was dispersal of the crowd by way of our late real estate boom. When the landlord or the gramma sells the house the hangers-on go somewhere else. Probably on the MAX.

Kozmic Ed,

instead of loosies, you might try growing your own. In just a couple weeks I will have plants again or you can try to find me for the seeds. Totally organic and Oregon grown.

http://bojack.org/2007/08/grow_some_funk_of_your_own_ami.html

Use my handle at yahoo.

In '84 I lived off Killingsworth on Campbell. Across the street from where Terry Baker grew up. I always would leave my porch light on and it soon became at target for gangsters who didn't know about shooting ranges. They never hit it, but it wasn't cool. So I put a target up on the concrete building next door (auto shop, the owner didn't appreciate the gesture.) So we moved it to the telephone poll, but that didn't work either. No game in shooting after stopping. I finally had to go down the street and knock on the door. Turns out "mom" went to school with me and when she found out they were shooting at MY house, there was a "come to Jesus" talk. No more shots.

Thanks for the tip on loosies. I had no idea what they are called these days. I learn new words everyday on this blog!