In the late afternoon of July 18, 2025, the parking lot of a Safeway grocery store in Northeast Portland became the scene of a fatal shooting. Jasen E. Fitzsimmons, a 42-year-old Caucasian male, was found deceased outside a vehicle by Portland Police officers who responded to reports of gunfire around 3:52 p.m. The incident unfolded in the Roseway neighborhood, at a bustling shopping center located at Northeast 70th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard.
Witnesses at the scene described a chaotic
sequence of events. Some reported hearing a man, later identified as Fitzsimmons, yelling "no" and "don't" before gunshots rang out. Another witness recalled seeing Fitzsimmons running from a white van while shouting in pain before he collapsed. Several people told reporters they believed a burglary of a white work van was in progress and that Fitzsimmons was trying to protect his vehicle and the tools inside. Following the gunshots, witnesses saw someone inside the van throwing items out of the window. Police have not officially confirmed these witness accounts. The medical examiner later determined that Jasen Fitzsimmons' death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police detained a person found inside a vehicle at the scene. This individual was identified as 41-year-old Ashe I. Sarethi. After a medical evaluation at a local hospital, Sarethi was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.
The investigation took a significant turn in the weeks that followed. In August, prosecutors filed to dismiss the charges against Sarethi after a Multnomah County grand jury declined to issue an indictment. Sarethi was subsequently released from custody on August 15. With no other suspects publicly named, the investigation into the death of Jasen Fitzsimmons remains open, but there is currently no active prosecution in the case.
