In the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, November 6, 2021, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of the Woodlawn neighborhood in Northeast Portland. Responding to a call of shots fired around 3:40 a.m., police officers arrived at the 1000 block of Northeast Madrona Street, near Woodlawn City Park. There, they discovered the grim outcome of the violence: a man, identified as 30-year-old Dominick Luster, was found deceased inside a vehicle.
He was a Black / African American male.
The initial investigation at the scene suggested a violent end, a suspicion later confirmed by the Oregon State Medical Examiner. The autopsy determined that Dominick Luster had died from gunshot wounds, and his death was officially ruled a homicide. Homicide detectives were called to the scene to take over the investigation into the shooting death of the young man. His family was notified of the tragic loss and later provided a photograph of him for public release.
In the wake of the shooting, the suspect or suspects responsible for Luster's death had vanished, leaving the scene before law enforcement arrived. Despite the ongoing investigation by the Portland Police Bureau's Homicide Unit, no arrests have been announced in connection with the case. Detectives have reached out to the public, asking for anyone with information to come forward and assist in bringing closure to the unsolved murder. The circumstances leading up to the fatal shooting remain unclear, and the case continues to be an open investigation.
