PORTLAND, Ore. — Four Seattle teens Portland gas station shooting suspects were taken into custody Friday after a convenience store clerk was shot five times during an early-morning armed robbery, with investigators tying members of the group to a string of violent crimes committed across the city earlier in the week.

The Shooting on Northeast Broadway

According to Portland police, the robbery unfolded around 4:45 a.m. Friday at the 76 station on Northeast Broadway. Several armed suspects entered the convenience store.

While the robbery was underway, a second employee walked into the store. A struggle broke out.

The employee was shot five times — four rounds to the abdomen and one to the leg. He was taken to a hospital trauma center and is expected to survive.

A Fast Investigation

What followed was an unusually rapid piece of police work.

Evidence recovered at the scene allowed detectives to connect the shooting to other crimes from earlier that week. The suspects fled by vehicle, and descriptions were distributed to officers across the bureau, including members of the Focused Intervention Team and the Enhanced Community Safety Team.

Portland Police spokesperson Sgt. Kevin Allen said officers located the suspect vehicles near Northeast MLK Jr. Boulevard and Alberta Street within an hour of that information going out.

Investigators then traced the group to a residence in the 500 block of Northeast Webster. SWAT assisted in serving a search warrant late Friday night, and 12 people were detained. Officers recovered four firearms during the search, including at least one fitted with a drum magazine.

Allen said police believe some of the recovered weapons were used in the armed robberies.

The Charges

Four teenagers from Seattle were booked into the Donald E. Long Detention Center:

• A 17-year-old: second-degree attempted murder and two counts of first-degree robbery
• A 16-year-old: two counts of first-degree robbery
• A 15-year-old: second-degree attempted murder and two counts of first-degree robbery
• A second 17-year-old: first-degree robbery, first-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon

As of Saturday afternoon, only three of the four were connected to Friday’s shooting. All four, however, were linked to a separate gas station robbery on July 14.

A 36-year-old man wanted on an outstanding warrant was also arrested during the search.

Less Than 19 Hours

Allen praised the speed of the response, noting that fewer than 19 hours passed between the initial call about the wounded clerk and multiple suspects being in custody. He described the volume of work behind that timeline as extraordinary.

A Week of Connected Crimes

Police detailed four additional incidents that evidence from Friday’s shooting helped link together.

Carjacking — July 14, 12:36 a.m.
North Precinct officers responded to an armed carjacking at Northeast 73rd Avenue and Northeast Halsey Street. The driver, working for a rideshare service, was approached by multiple armed suspects who robbed him and drove off in his car. He fled on foot and suffered minor injuries in a fall while escaping.

Menacing — July 14, 3:31 p.m.
Later that same day, officers were called to the 6100 block of Northeast 31st Avenue. A resident reported interrupting a group attempting to break into his vehicle in his own driveway. The suspects ran, piled into another car, and pointed handguns at him as they drove off. No one was hurt.

Robbery — July 14, 10:58 p.m.
That night, officers responded to a gas station convenience store in the 3400 block of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Multiple suspects robbed the store at gunpoint and pointed weapons at the employee. One struck the victim in the head with a pistol. Paramedics evaluated him at the scene, but he declined transport.

Suspicious Circumstances — July 17, 4:24 a.m.
Roughly 20 minutes before the shooting, officers responded to a convenience store in the 5800 block of Northeast MLK Jr. Boulevard, where masked individuals tried to enter through a locked front door before leaving. Anticipating another robbery attempt, officers began actively searching for the group.

That last call is a striking detail. Police were already hunting for the crew when the shooting occurred.

What Investigators Are Still Working On

Allen described the ongoing effort as far from finished. Detectives will continue analyzing evidence and coordinating with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office in hopes of successfully prosecuting the cases.

He cautioned that the picture may shift. Some charges could change, others could be added, and further arrests remain possible.

Not all of the juveniles were charged in connection with every incident. Allen noted that some of the teens face charges tied to specific cases rather than the full set.

Two central questions remain open:

• What motivated the crimes
• Why teenagers from Seattle were operating in Portland

A Personal Note From Police

Allen closed with a reflection that stepped outside the usual official framing.

Speaking as a resident, an officer, and a father, he said he finds it difficult to comprehend how something like this happens, and that he understands why the community feels alarmed. He added that he hopes the teenagers get the help they need, given the significant harm their activity caused.

How to Help

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation can submit an anonymous tip through the Portland Police tip line for case 26-207093.