Dominick Lee Sawyer, a 29-year-old Black/African American man, was fatally shot in downtown Portland, Oregon, during the early morning hours of June 10, 2023. The violence unfolded near the intersection of Southwest 3rd Avenue and Southwest Harvey Milk Street, an area of downtown where bars, restaurants and other businesses draw late-night activity.
Portland police said officers encountered a shooting in progress at the intersection.
Officers immediately began providing emergency medical aid to the people who had been struck. Sawyer could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people who were wounded in the same shooting were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Police subsequently opened a homicide investigation under case number 23-152485.
Sawyer's mother, Cherish Sawyer, later said her son was sitting in his vehicle when he was killed at about 1:57 a.m. She described his death as a sudden and senseless killing and began publicly seeking information that might identify the person responsible. In the weeks after the shooting, she organized a fundraiser in hopes of hiring a private investigator, saying she was determined to learn who killed her son and see that person held accountable.
Sawyer left behind three young sons. His family remembered him as someone with a strong sense of humor who could make people laugh and who had formed connections with many people throughout his life. His mother said he had lived in Colorado earlier in his life and planned to take his remains there so friends and others who had known him could say goodbye. More recent reporting described Sawyer as a devoted father who, shortly before his death, had been preparing to move to the Tri-Cities area in hopes of making a fresh start.
Despite the fact that two other people survived the gunfire, the investigation did not quickly produce a publicly identified suspect. Police have not released a name or detailed description of the person or people believed responsible, nor have investigators publicly disclosed a motive or the sequence of events that led to the shooting. No arrest was announced in connection with Sawyer's killing in the months and years that followed.
By June 2026, three years after the homicide, Sawyer's death remained unsolved. His mother returned to the downtown intersection and placed a hand-painted memorial cross near the location where he was killed. She said her family was still waiting for answers and expressed frustration that nobody had been jailed for the crime. She also said communication with investigators had been limited over the years following her son's death.
Portland police confirmed in 2026 that the homicide investigation was still active and declined to release additional investigative details. A police spokesperson said the lead detective had communicated with Sawyer's family on multiple occasions and would provide them with information when investigators were able to release it. Authorities continued asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Portland Police Bureau's homicide investigators and reference case number 23-152485.
As of the latest publicly available reporting, no suspect has been publicly charged, no arrest has been announced, and there has been no trial or conviction for Sawyer's killing. His family continues to seek accountability while investigators work a case that, more than three years after the gunfire on Southwest 3rd Avenue and Southwest Harvey Milk Street, remains unresolved.
