Bend, OR — A 26-year-old man is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, after a shooting at the Springwater Trail Apartments early Tuesday morning left a woman with a gunshot wound to the head. The incident reportedly began with a dispute over loud music and quickly escalated into violence.
According to court documents, police responded to the apartment complex at 1324 Southwest Pleasant View Drive just after several 911 calls were made reporting gunshots. Officers arrived to find a woman lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to her head. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was quickly transported to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), where she remains unconscious and in critical condition.
The altercation began when the victim heard loud music coming from a parked vehicle and confronted a man and woman nearby about the volume. The suspect’s girlfriend, who was with him at the time, told police that the victim knocked take-out food out of their hands, triggering a physical altercation. The victim’s boyfriend, who was present during the confrontation, allegedly used pepper spray in an attempt to break up the fight.
It was at this point that the suspect, identified as Kuian Kwaku Kellum, pulled out a firearm and fired three shots. One of the bullets struck the victim in the head, while another hit a parked vehicle behind her. According to Kellum’s account, he fired the shots because he feared the victim and her boyfriend were going to “pummel” him. Surveillance footage from the area captured part of the incident, and audio recorded the victim’s boyfriend shouting “watch out” just before the shots were fired.
Kellum was arrested at the scene and later charged with attempted murder, assault, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of reckless endangerment. He was arraigned on Wednesday, and Judge Jeffrey Auxier granted the prosecutor’s request to hold Kellum without bail, citing the severity of the charges and the danger he poses to the community.
The shooting has raised concerns about the ease with which conflicts can escalate to violence, particularly when firearms are involved. The Gresham Police Department has not released further details about the ongoing investigation, but the case is expected to proceed to trial in the coming months.
As of now, the victim remains in critical condition, and her family has requested privacy during this difficult time. The case serves as a sobering reminder of the potential consequences of seemingly minor disputes, and the high stakes involved when violence is introduced into the equation.
