Nomad, Homeless Man, Fatally Shot in Altercation Near Hawthorne Bridge

One man has been killed in a shooting that took place near the east side of the Hawthorne Bridge on Wednesday afternoon. The victim has been identified as Wesley Allen, a 42-year-old homeless man who had been living in the area for about three weeks. According to Allen, he overheard an argument between a group of people who had recently moved into the neighborhood and his friend, known as “Nomad.” Allen stated that Nomad had confronted the group about their drug use, which led to the altercation.

Allen recounted that he was inside his tent when he heard two gunshots. Upon looking outside, he saw the group of four individuals running away from Nomad, who was lying on the ground and visibly shaken. Two fellow campers rushed to Nomad’s aid, performing CPR until the arrival of a police officer approximately 10 minutes later. The officer then discovered two bullet wounds after cutting open Nomad’s shirt.

“He got into an argument and that was it,” Allen said, emphasizing that the fatal shooting occurred over a mere exchange of words.

The incident prompted a swift response from law enforcement, with up to 18 Portland police units arriving at the scene. By 1:45 p.m., yellow crime scene tape had been set up to secure the area.

Earlier in the day, another fatal shooting involving a Portland police officer occurred in a Northeast Portland industrial area. The officer reportedly responded to a theft report and fatally shot a man near an RV. These two incidents bring the total number of homicides in Portland this year to 70.

As this is an ongoing investigation, further updates are expected. The Oregonian journalist Catalina Gaitán can be contacted at cgaitan@oregonian.com for additional information. It is important to note that supporting journalism is crucial, and readers are encouraged to become subscribers at OregonLive.com/subscribe.