Portland Shootings Down 9.7% Through September 2026, Police Data Shows

Portland recorded 389 shooting incidents through September 2026, a figure that marks a 9.7% decline compared to the same period in 2025.

The data provided by the Portland Police Bureau suggests a downward trend in gun violence over the past several years.

According to the bureau, this year’s total represents a 40% reduction from 2024, a 50.8% decrease from 2023, and a 61.2% drop from 2022. These numbers track incidents where shots were fired.

Despite the citywide decrease, the burden of gun violence is not distributed evenly across the map. Neighborhood-level data from September 2025 through September 2026 shows that while Old Town reported 19 shootings, other areas faced higher concentrations of activity. Powellhurst-Gilbert recorded 35 incidents, followed by Lents with 34, Hazelwood with 33, and St. Johns with 23, as KATU reported.

The human stakes of these numbers remain high, particularly for the community organizations tasked with intervention. Lionel Irving, the founder and director of Love is Stronger, said the city has an understaffed police force and under-resourced nonprofits. He contends that the city is operating with an understaffed police force and under-resourced nonprofits.

“This is a recipe for disaster,” Irving said. He added that there is no one out on 122nd and Burnside, 181st, or downtown in Chinatown, noting that the absence of organizations in those areas is a problem.

Irving’s organization serves 60 to 70 young people at risk of gun violence. From his perspective, the lack of a visible, consistent presence in the most affected neighborhoods creates a vacuum. Police officials track shootings and look for connections among victims, suspects and groups. Police say that work can help prevent future shootings and determine whether gang violence is a factor.

With violence still occurring, such as the shooting on Naito Parkway that left one man in critical condition, the community continues to grapple with the reality behind the data.