Oregon woman shot in face while caught in crossfire rails against gun violence

A lady from suburban Portland, Oregon, who survived being shot within the face when she was caught in the course of a gun battle appeared earlier than metropolis leaders this week to demand extra motion on gun violence.

“These wounds that you simply see on my face is the results of a 40-caliber bullet that punctured proper via my nostril,” Katie Guzenko advised Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and members of the Metropolis Council on Wednesday, reported KATU2.

Guzenko, 27, an HR specialist at Amazon, was driving close to Southeast a hundred and thirtieth Avenue and Powell Boulevard in Portland on July 20 on her technique to decide up silverware for a bridal bathe when she heard gunshots.

“I saved driving, hoping to get out of that space … subsequent factor I do know my face is profusely bleeding,” Guzenko in a current interview with KGW8.

Police mentioned she was caught within the crossfire after two gunmen standing on the other sides of the road started firing at each other throughout a suspected gang-related confrontation.

One of many shooters’ bullets pierced the entrance passenger window in Guzenko’s automobile, went via her nostril and got here out the driving force’s window.

A grisly video recorded by the shocked sufferer within the speedy aftermath of the taking pictures confirmed a lot of her face coated with a thick layer blood pouring from her wounds.

Guzenko was in a position to pull over and bounce out of the automobile to name for assist. She estimated that it took 20 minutes for an ambulance to reach on the scene.

Guzenko, who’s a local of Ukraine and nonetheless has kin within the war-torn nation, mentioned she by no means anticipated to expertise being shot in a purportedly peaceable American metropolis, hundreds of miles away from Russian weapons and artillery shells.

“My household there may be reaching out to me to guarantee that I’m OK, once they’re those in a struggle zone.” she mentioned.

A day after Guzenko’s brush with loss of life, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler declared a state of emergency over gun violence and set a aim to cut back shootings and gun-related deaths within the metropolis by 10% over the subsequent two years.

In line with Portland Police Division’s knowledge, within the first six months of 2022, there have been 673 shootings within the metropolis of 650,000 inhabitants, in comparison with the identical time interval in 2019 when there have been 199 shootings, which represents a rise of almost 240%.

Throughout Wednesday’s assembly, Guzenko, showing by way of video convention with scars nonetheless seen on her nostril, known as on the mayor and Portland’s elected officers to do extra to curb gun violence.

 “Mayor, given that you simply’ve known as us a gun violence emergency, I really feel like little or no is being carried out.” Guzenko advised Wheeler

The mayor replied that he didn’t need to “bulls— folks” by making outsized guarantees, and that the ten% gun violence discount aim was the “backside threshold.” He additionally famous that he was working in direction of including 300 cops to the power to maintain town protected.