A man was seriously wounded in a shooting Wednesday night in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood, according to police.
Police said a 34-year-old man was rushed to Maine Medical Center following the shooting, which was reported around 9:30 p.m. on Greenleaf Street. The victim, whose name and hometown were not released by police, underwent surgery and was in critical but stable condition Thursday night.
Officers responding to the shooting administered first aid to the victim before he was taken to the hospital, according to police, who said witnesses reported seeing “multiple males running from the scene.”
“Had it not been for the quick response and aid provided by our city’s police officers and emergency medical services, we would be investigating a homicide today,” Police Chief Frank Clark said in a statement. “The department continues to investigate the possibility of any connections involving a number of recent shootings in the city, and I’m asking the public to call or text us with any information. This violence and gun play must end.”
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the police department at 874-8575.
Crime overall in Portland declined in 2020 and the downward trend has continued this year. But Wednesday’s shooting was at least the 11th incident involving gunfire in Portland since October 2020, including three incidents last month. While only one person was known to be wounded as a result of the shootings, the uptick is deeply concerning, the department said.
Shootings have occurred in various parts of the city, including previous incidents in East Bayside. The only previous report of an injury was a 19-year-old man who was shot twice in the arm on May 7, police said. In some other cases, officers found bullet holes in buildings or a car. In most cases, they recovered between two and 10 shell casings from the scene.
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