On a summer night in Portland, Oregon, the heroic act of a young father cost him his life. Aaron McInnis, a 30-year-old Caucasian male, was dropping a friend off at her home near Normandale Park on July 14, 2024, when another man asked for his help. The man had heard a woman crying in a nearby car and was concerned she was being assaulted. McInnis went with him to check on her safety. In the car, they found Arvoni Alexander Hayes with his girlfriend.
After McInnis urged him to exit the vehicle, Hayes stepped out, naked. He and the woman both said they were okay.
After several minutes of discussion, Hayes began to get dressed. He then suddenly jumped back into the car and yelled at his girlfriend to drive away. As the car sped off, McInnis ran after it. At the nearby intersection of Northeast 55th Avenue and Northeast Hassalo Street, Hayes got out of the car and began firing a gun at McInnis, hitting him three times. Police responded to reports of the shooting around 11:30 p.m. and found McInnis with life-threatening injuries. He was rushed to a local hospital, but he did not survive. The medical examiner later confirmed his death was a homicide caused by gunshot wounds.
In the wake of the tragedy, McInnis’s family was left in shock. His father, Don McInnis, said they would focus on Aaron’s 10-year-old son, Blake, who was now without a dad. "That would be his legacy," he said. A GoFundMe was organized to help the family with funeral costs and provide support for his son. The investigation by the Portland Police Bureau continued for nearly two months, culminating in a Grand Jury indictment.
On September 11, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested 23-year-old Arvoni A. Hayes of Portland on an outstanding murder warrant. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and possession of a loaded firearm in public.
Two years later, the case came to a resolution. On September 11, 2026, Hayes, then 25, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison, to be followed by three years of post-prison supervision. During the proceedings, Deputy District Attorney Eric Palmer honored the victim, stating, “Aaron McInnis was a hero to the very end. He did not hesitate to check on the safety of a stranger and tragically lost his life to the defendant’s cowardly shooting.” As of September 2026, the case is closed.
