Man killed in SE Portland drive-by shooting identified by family members

The man who was shot to death in a drive-by shooting in Southeast Portland on Sunday has been identified by family members as Walter Mulberry. The 49-year-old was providing event security in the area when a bullet hit and killed him.

The shooter or shooters sprayed “dozens of shots” from a moving car around 1:11 a.m. in the Buckman neighborhood, according to a police statement on Sunday. A 17-year-old boy also was hit and is expected to survive. Police have not said whether they know who the intended target was and have not announced any arrests in the shooting.

Mulberry was struck in the neck and died shortly after being taken to a hospital, said Glenda Beegle, 61, Mulberry’s cousin.

“He was my adopted son, he was my life,” she said of Mulberry. “It’s taken a big part of us away … he wasn’t supposed to die before me.”

Beegle described Mulberry as a kind, soft-spoken man who was well-liked by everyone. She said he had an adult daughter and two grandchildren.

Mulberry was born in Portland, then moved to Kansas when he was young, Beegle said. He moved back to Portland 10 years ago.

She added that he liked to spend his free time fishing for salmon and trout.

“He always caught something,” she said. “He was a very good fisherman.”

Beegle said he got the security job a few weeks ago and was excited about landing the position.

His sister, 48-year-old Vickie Ku Ku, who set up a GoFundMe page for his memorial service, said she talked to him the morning before he was shot. He got up that day excited to go to work, because it meant he’d be able to send money to his daughter and grandkids, she said.

Less than 24 hours later, she received a call from her cousin that he had been shot. She said her cousin was crying as he told her that Mulberry had a hole in his neck and wasn’t expected to survive.

Shortly after she received the call, her brother was dead.

“I didn’t get to see him, hold him, say goodbye,” Ku Ku said.

She said she hopes police are able to make an arrest in the case.

“We’re hoping and praying that people will come forward, but nobody has so far,” Ku Ku said. “Because of this person, my brother’s been taken from me for the rest of my life.”

Anyone with information about the shooting that killed Mulberry can contact Det. Jeff Pontius at Jeffery.Pontius@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0433, or Det. Steve Gandy at Stephen.Gandy@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0449.

— Tatum Todd covers crime and public safety. Reach them at ttodd@oregonian.com, or 503-221-4313.