A 14-year-old boy is fighting for his life after a late-night shooting in Eugene.
At 9:46 p.m. on February 17, callers began reporting shots fired in the Marche Chase Drive and Kinsrow Avenue area of Eugene, along with people running and vehicles fleeing the scene.
While officers with the Eugene Police Department were still responding, another call came in reporting an injured person in a parking lot at 330 South Garden Way.
When officers arrived, they found a 14-year-old male suffering from gunshot wounds. Police immediately began providing emergency medical care until crews from Eugene Springfield Fire arrived to take over treatment and transport him to a local hospital. He was taken in with life-threatening injuries.
Authorities say this was not a random act of violence, but rather an incident involving a specific group of individuals. The investigation remains ongoing.
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For neighbors nearby, the night unfolded in a matter of minutes.
Speaking with KEZI, MacKenzie Erb described hearing what she initially thought was a car backfiring.
“Around 9:45, I was laying down and I heard two pops, and it sounded like a car backfiring,” Erb said. “About 10 minutes later, I could hear sirens, and the sirens kept coming and coming, and I looked out my window and I realized that there was about 10 or so vehicles with lights on it.”
Those sirens marked the beginning of what has now become an active investigation. Eugene Police’s Violent Crimes Unit and Forensic Evidence Unit both responded to process the scene and gather evidence.
No additional information about suspects has been released at this time. The case remains under investigation (Case 26-02499), and police are continuing to piece together exactly what led to the shooting that left a young teenager critically injured.
Community members looking to support the teen and his family during this difficult time can do so through a GoFundMe campaign that has been created to assist with medical expenses and recovery costs. Those who wish to help can visit: https://gofund.me/ed6abbc19
