Portland Police have identified the suspect behind a shooting over the weekend at an Antifa gathering that left five people injured and one dead.
In a press release, police identified the suspect as 43-year-old Benjamin Smith, who remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Detectives are currently working with the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office to determine potential charges for Smith, who was previously described as an armed homeowner.
The sole victim in Saturday’s shooting has been identified as 60-year-old Brandy Knightly. The Medical Examiner's Office determined her manner and cause of death to be homicide by gunshot wound.
Portland-area Antifa held a gathering on Saturday night near Normandale Park in solidarity with Amir Locke, a 22-year-old black man who was shot by police in Minneapolis earlier this month.
The shooting occurred at around 8 pm.
Following the shooting, Antifa members and groups told fellow members that were present at the shooting not to talk to police investigating the incident, to delete evidence posted on social media, and to keep posts including photos, videos, and first-hand accounts related to the incident to a minimum "so that you don't receive a knock."
Police said that the scene was "extremely chaotic" and that a number of witnesses at the scene were "uncooperative" with officers that responded.
"Most people on scene left without talking to police," they wrote on Sunday. "Detectives believe a large number of people either witnessed what happened, or recorded the incident as it unfolded. This is a very complicated incident, and investigators are trying to put this puzzle together without having all the pieces."
In the update, Portland Police said that people removed "critical evidence" from the scene before officers arrived.
"Investigators ask that anyone with that evidence, as well as video, please contact police as these items are important to the investigation. Detectives would also like to speak with witnesses who left the scene without providing a statement, which could be useful in the case," they wrote.
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