In the early morning hours of August 15, 2026, the sounds of a large gathering in Southeast Portland's Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood were shattered by gunfire. When police responded to the scene near Southeast Water Avenue and Southeast Caruthers Street around 2:49 a.m., they discovered a chaotic situation with multiple victims. One injured man was transported from the scene by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries.
A second man, who was seriously wounded, had been taken to a hospital in a private vehicle and was expected to survive after receiving medical treatment. The third victim, a 23-year-old male from Vancouver, Washington, named Titus Rohde, was found deceased inside a vehicle at a gas station approximately a mile and a half away, near Southeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Southeast Alder Street. An autopsy later confirmed that Titus Rohde's death was a homicide resulting from a gunshot wound.
In the days following the shooting, the Portland Police Bureau's Homicide Unit launched an intensive investigation. Detectives quickly determined that many individuals present at the large gathering had fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. Believing these witnesses held crucial information, authorities made a public plea for anyone with photos, videos, or firsthand accounts to come forward. To facilitate this, they established a secure online portal for the public to upload digital evidence. Rohde’s family also joined the call for public assistance, providing a photo of him for release. His mother described him as a gifted musician who was deeply involved with his church. She also shared that he had been battling addiction, which caused his family to worry about his safety in certain environments.
As of late August 2026, the investigation into the death of Titus Rohde remains active and ongoing, with no arrests having been made in connection to the shooting. Police have not released any information about a potential suspect or suspects. The case is a complex one, hampered by the large number of potential witnesses who dispersed after the fatal shots were fired. The overview of the case is that Titus Rohde was tragically killed during a large public gathering that erupted in violence, leaving two others injured and a community searching for answers. The focus of the police investigation is to piece together the events of that early morning by appealing to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the homicide.
