As you may be aware, late Tuesday night, a women exited a restroom next to the pre-security area of the D/E TSA checkpoint and fired shots from a handgun into the air. Passengers, employees and construction personnel in the area took cover, and there were no injuries sustained. The woman was taken into custody by Port Police within minutes, and detectives are now working on the investigation.
We’re grateful to our Port of Portland Police officers, Airport Operations team members and emergency dispatchers for their swift response. While the situation was quickly de-escalated and therefore was not an active shooter event, it was still an unsettling incident. For the foreseeable future, Port Police will increase patrols in the terminal and at security checkpoints.
This event also highlights the need to be prepared for unexpected emergencies, so in the coming weeks, Captains TJ Eriksen and Jeremy Hepp will again offer Civilian Response to Active Shooter (CRASE) training. In the interim, you’re encouraged to watch this training video.
Please reach out to your manager to connect with their Port liaison with any questions and, if you need additional support, here are some community resources available to help you process this event.
