Two officers on foot patrol near 43 Wharf St. shortly after 1 a.m. Monday they heard gunshots and found a 34-year-old man shot multiple times on Wharf Street near Union Street. Moments later, a 22-year-old Portland woman was found at the corner of Fore and Union streets with multiple gunshot wounds, according to Portland Police Department Maj. Robert Martin. Police believe the woman was shot on Wharf Street and walked to the corner of Union Street before collapsing. Officers applied a tourniquet and wound sealant while waiting for ambulances to arrive. Both victims were taken to Maine Medical Center, where they are being treated for serious injuries, Martin said. Police did not immediately release other details about the shooting, including whether a suspect or motive has been identified. Last Friday, Portland police announced the department was shifting resources to deal with major increases in violent crime in the city this year. It will now cut outside officer numbers in a bid to increase patrols in hot spots. The department will also add more two-officer patrols throughout the city. So far this year, there have been 17 stabbings in Portland, a 31 percent increase from the same time last year. Shootings have more than doubled since this time in 2021. Before Monday, there had been 42 shootings, seven casualties, two deaths and four arrests, according to department statistics. In the past two weeks, police have responded to five shootings in six days. Last Tuesday, police charged 22-year-old Abdihamit Ali of Portland after a 20-year-old woman was injured last weekend. On Wednesday, a 31-year-old Portland man, Walter Omal, was shot and killed in Deering Oaks. A day later, investigators charged Amin Awies Mohamed, 38, of Boston, with Omal’s murder. He is now being held without bond in the Cumberland County Jail. In a third recent incident, a mentally unstable man was found firing a gun into the air near the intersection of Bolton Street and Brighton Avenue, police said. This story will be updated. Related stories
