Tactics And Training
Pastor Shot During Evening Service in Portland Church Lobby
Unprovoked attack wounds clergy member as congregation flees to safety
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✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍Portland, Oregon
PORTLAND, Oregon (KOIN) In a chilling and unanticipated escalation of violence, a gunman opened fire in the lobby of Saint Michaels Community Church on Wednesday evening, wounding the 54yearold pastor, Reverend Daniel Harris, before security and parishioners subdued the suspect. The incident occurred at approximately 7:15p.m. local time, just as the congregation had completed its opening hymn and was gathering for the evening prayer service. According to eyewitness accounts, a lone individual dressed in dark clothing entered the church through the main entrance, approached the welcome desk, and fired three rounds without uttering a word. One bullet struck Reverend Harris in the left shoulder; the other rounds penetrated decorative wood paneling behind the desk. I heard a loud boom, then saw the pastor buckle, said congregant Maria Lopez, who was seated in the second pew. People screamed and ducked for cover. It was chaos. Church security volunteers immediately wrestled the assailant to the ground as other attendees carried Reverend Harris to the vestibule and applied pressure to his wound. Paramedics arrived within three minutes and transported the pastor to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, where he remained in stable condition undergoing surgery. Portland Police Bureau detectives have identified the suspect as 28yearold Michael Reeves, a transient with a prior misdemeanor record but no known ties to extremist organizations. Officers recovered a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and opened a homicide investigation after discovering discarded shell casings near the entrance. Investigators are reviewing securitycamera footage and interviewing over a dozen witnesses.