Detectives Hunt for Clues as Teen Shooting Mystery Persists

A teenage girl is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries after a shooting occurred on Friday afternoon in Wood Village, as reported by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. The incident took place at a Reynolds School District bus stop near Northeast 235th Avenue and Northeast Arata Road.

According to the girl's family, she is 13 years old and attends a middle school within the district. As of Saturday night, she is speaking and doing well, though her identity remains private. The family has chosen not to disclose her name at this time.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is leading the investigation, working closely with the district attorney’s office. Detectives are currently speaking with witnesses, collecting and reviewing video footage, and processing additional evidence. Initially, the sheriff’s office stated the girl was 14 years old, but later corrected that information to reflect her actual age of 13.

While the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, the sheriff’s office suggests the incident may have originated from an argument. KATU spoke with the brother of the 13-year-old, who chose to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. He shared that the girl was waiting for her friends at the bus stop around 4 p.m. when the shooter opened fire, striking her. The bus driver immediately called 911.

The suspect fled the scene and is not currently in custody. MCSO has not identified the individual at this time, but the girl’s family claims they know who it is and are urging the suspect to come forward. “I don’t care if he’s scared or not,” the brother said. “I just want him taken into custody.”

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information about the incident—including cell phone videos—to contact the non-emergency line at 503-823-3333 if they haven’t already spoken with deputies. They emphasized the importance of withholding public statements during an ongoing investigation, as releasing uncorroborated information could compromise the process.

The sheriff’s office also noted that the information released so far is based on a preliminary review and may change as the investigation continues.

Reactions from the Community

Families in the Reynolds School District are expressing concern over the incident. One parent, who has two children in the district, spoke with KATU on Saturday. She declined to be named but voiced her fears about the safety of students.

“How can I, as a mother, feel safe knowing that there are kids coming to school with who knows what in their backpack all day long?” she asked. “This could have been worse. It could have happened at school, it could have happened at the classroom. Thankfully no one died in this situation, but it really scares me. It scares me to put my kids on the bus.”

She added that she has not received any updates from the school district and has considered switching to homeschooling or sending her children to a private school.

Impact on the Neighborhood

The shooting transformed a neighborhood typically bustling with children into a crime scene marked by police tape and detectives. Corbin Mandzij, a resident of Wood Village, described the impact of the incident. “There are tons of kids, like three school buses every hour after school is out,” he said.

Mandzij, who moved to the area hoping to leave violence behind, expressed his disappointment. “I used to live in Rockwood growing up, so it's really sad that it's happening right outside my front door again.”

Felipe Perez, who has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years, said he had never seen anything like the shooting before. “No. Not in 25 years,” he said when asked whether a similar incident had occurred in the past.

Residents are concerned about the safety of children in the area. “Yeah, especially if a bullet can just...a straight bullet can go anywhere,” Mandzij said. “There's lots of kids around here, so I'm the [most] worried about the kids.”

When a reporter suggested the situation “could have been so much worse,” Mandzij agreed. “So much worse,” he said.

Deputies have not yet clarified whether the girl was riding the school bus or attending a nearby school. KATU reached out to the Reynolds School District multiple times but received no official response.