Who killed 25 year old Domingo Lee Gonzales? In the early morning hours of November 17, 2002, a chaotic scene unfolded on the streets of Portland, Oregon, that would end in the tragic death of 25-year-old Domingo Lee Gonzales, a Hispanic male. At approximately 4:31 a.m., police responded to reports of a shooting near 7144 NE 22nd Avenue, the location of a now-defunct after-hours club. Before officers could arrive, they spotted a vehicle speeding away from the area.
The pursuing officers followed the car until it screeched to a halt
at Emanuel Hospital. The driver leaped out, shouting that his passenger had been shot. Inside the vehicle was Domingo Gonzales, suffering from what would prove to be fatal gunshot wounds. Despite the desperate rush to the emergency room, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Witnesses at the scene of the shooting reported hearing multiple gunshots erupting from behind the residence on NE 22nd Avenue, followed by another round of shots and the sound of screeching tires. In the immediate aftermath, an African-American male was seen leaving the area in a dark-colored 1980s Buick Regal; authorities believe he may have been a witness to the events that transpired. Another witness reported seeing an African-American male in a light-colored plaid button-up shirt getting out of the passenger side of a light-colored Buick Skylark just moments before the shooting; that vehicle was also seen fleeing the scene right after.
The investigation into Gonzales's murder has since gone cold, and no arrests have been made. However, investigators have explored possible motives. One theory suggests the shooting may have been the result of a feud between rival gangs, the Rolling 60s Crips and the Hoover Crips, possibly stemming from a dispute over a dogfight. This tragic event is also believed to have sparked a chain of violence, as police suspect that a retaliatory shooting three days later, which resulted in the death of a 23-year-old woman named Asia Bell, was connected to Gonzales's murder. The Portland Police Bureau's Cold Case Homicide Unit continues to seek information from the public that might lead to a breakthrough in this unsolved case.
