On Sunday night, Dec. 7, shortly after 11 p.m., a shooting was reported to the Canby Police Department that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old girl.

When the police rushed to the scene at an apartment complex, they found flowers outside the door. After entering the apartment, officers located the young girl with a serious gunshot wound. The location of the gunshot has not been released. She was found alive, and the medics attempted to provide immediate care; however, moments later, the victim was declared dead. 

As this continues to be an active investigation, most of the information has not been disclosed. The Canby police discovered that before their arrival, another minor had fled the scene. The police tracked the juvenile down for around 2 hours and finally took a 17 year-old-boy into custody around 1 a.m.

While Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and Canby police continue to investigate, the minors’ identities have not been released. Due to limited information and a lack of details, many questions remain unanswered. Canby Police have not revealed the connection between the two minors, what led up to the crime, or what the suspect’s intentions were. However, on Facebook, the mother of the victim posted that the shooter was her daughter’s boyfriend, though this has not been confirmed by the police.

This incident was so out of the ordinary that, reacting to the shooting, a woman said, “[E]specially here in Canby, you just don’t hear of it, ever.” Many residents in Canby have expressed worry after this shooting. According to the residents, violent crime in the area is considered uncommon. As the news spread quickly, parents and students expressed concern and were hoping for clarity to understand what is going on.

While there are limited details, police have confirmed that there are no other suspects and the community remains safe. There has been no confirmation on how the gun was obtained or whether it was somehow legally owned. Canby police are urging anyone with information regarding the shooting to come forward in order to discover what truly happened. 

Despite this rare occurrence in Canby, the community have begun their healing process as they await further answers.