On the evening of July 26, 2023, 41-year-old Laura Guerrero-Rafaela was fatally shot in Portland’s Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood. The shooting occurred around 5:31 p.m. in the 5500 block of Southeast 111th Avenue. East Precinct officers found Guerrero-Rafaela with gunshot wounds; despite life-saving efforts by officers and paramedics she was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner later ruled her death a homicide caused by gunshot wounds.

The suspect or suspects had left the area before police arrived, and no immediate arrests were made. The Portland Police Homicide Unit processed the scene and described the investigation as ongoing. Family members remembered Guerrero-Rafaela as a joyful, loving mother of four who loved to dance and hug people; they set up a memorial near the location where she was killed and told reporters they believed they knew who was responsible and urged police to act quickly. Detectives appealed to the public for any information about the case—does anyone have information that could help investigators?