PORTLAND, OR – In the quiet hours of early Sunday morning, a shocking incident unfolded near Cathedral Park, leaving a young life hanging in the balance. Sixteen-year-old Elliott Beck, a promising student and basketball player from Roosevelt High School, was found with a life-threatening gunshot wound to the head. As he lies in a medically induced coma, his family and friends are clinging to hope for his recovery.
Close family friend Lucinda Bowman, who has known Elliott through their shared involvement in the Boy Scouts, described him as an exceptional young man. “He’s not your typical teenager,” she shared. “Elliott is incredibly sweet and thoughtful.” Just a week ago, she received one of his characteristic bear hugs, a testament to his warm and affectionate nature.
The Portland Police Bureau reported that officers responded to the shooting around 3:30 a.m. near North Pittsburgh Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered Elliott critically injured near a vehicle. The investigation into the identity of the shooter remains ongoing, with authorities appealing for any information that could lead to an arrest.
As Elliott’s family waits anxiously for signs of improvement, doctors are gradually reducing the paralytics keeping him in a coma. “He has a resilient teenage brain that we believe will pull through,” Bowman expressed with cautious optimism. The Beck family, facing financial strain with both parents currently out of work, has turned to the community for support, launching a GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical expenses.
This tragic event comes on the heels of another recent shooting in southeast Portland that claimed the life of a 17-year-old. The incidents have reignited discussions on gun violence in the community. Elliott’s family, staunchly opposed to gun violence, hopes to channel their pain into advocacy, with his mother considering joining a group of mothers against gun violence.
In the meantime, the focus remains on Elliott’s recovery. Friends and supporters are encouraged to contribute to the GoFundMe and offer prayers and positive thoughts for his healing. As the investigation continues, the community rallies around the Beck family, united in their desire for justice and healing.