In the early morning hours of July 31, 2021, a dispute in a bar parking lot in Gresham, Oregon, escalated into a fatal exchange of gunfire. Anthoney La Ray Barber, a 29-year-old Black male from Portland, was killed in the incident, which occurred near Northeast 181st Avenue and Halsey Street. Responding to an unrelated call nearby, Gresham police officers heard the gunshots and discovered Barber deceased at the scene amidst evidence of the shootout.
Investigators from the East County
Major Crimes Team quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence. It was reported that Barber and the other individual involved in the gunfight were known to each other, suggesting a pre-existing conflict that tragically culminated in bloodshed that Saturday morning. In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement did not release any information about a potential suspect, and no arrests were made, leaving a sense of uncertainty hanging over the case.
The investigation progressed swiftly, and a few days later, on August 4, 2021, Gresham Police announced a significant development in the case. A suspect, identified as 34-year-old Rogers O'Brian Mitchell of Fairview, was arrested in connection with the shooting death of Anthoney Barber. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled Barber's death a homicide. Mitchell was subsequently booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on an arrest warrant related to the homicide, bringing a measure of resolution to the initial phase of the investigation.
