Police are investigating a bizarre episode in which an unknown actor or actors fired as many as two dozen shots from multiple firearms near Grace Baptist Church in northeast Canby early Monday morning.
Canby Police Sergeant James Murphy told The Canby Current that no one was injured in the episode, and no property has been reported damaged. A suspect or suspects have not yet been identified.
More than 20 rounds of spent casings in the calibers of .223 (a popular rifle cartridge that can also be used in semi-automatic weapons and handguns) and .45 (another widely used and versatile round) were found in a grassy area near the parking lot of the church, which is located off Northeast Territorial Road.
Police were unable to find any bullets or bullet holes in the vicinity, suggesting the rounds may have been fired into the air or at the ground.
It’s a strange case, Murphy admitted.
“It’s unusual to have an instance where someone is firing multiple rounds in city limits,” the sergeant said. “We do get reports of promiscuous shootings from time to time, but they typically turn out to be fireworks or a car backfiring. That was definitely not the case here.”
Murphy said one witness reported seeing an individual leaving the scene after the shots were fired but was not able to offer a description.
While the case is unusual, police do not believe there is a heightened threat to the public at this point, as the suspect does not appear to have been targeting people or property.
Anyone with information about the case or whose home or property may have been damaged in the shooting is urged to contact the Canby Police Department at 503-266-1104.