Man charged with murder in shooting at Portland park

PORTLAND, Ore. — A 49-year-old man suspected of wounding two people in shootings last week has been accused in a fatal shooting near a North Portland park, authorities said.

Joseph Banks of Portland was arraigned Tuesday on an allegation of second-degree murder in the March 1 death of 55-year-old Mark Johnson, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Johnson’s body was found next to a black SUV on a street along Dawson Park.

Banks had been taken into custody March 3 on suspicion of injuring a man and woman in two Portland shootings five minutes apart on Feb. 28.

He’s accused of shooting someone several times near North Williams Avenue and Stanton Street, police said. Five minutes later, a second victim was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the 3700 block of Northeast Garfield Avenue.

Banks faces charges of attempted murder, assault and unlawful use of a weapon in those shootings, according to Multnomah County inmate records.

Police have declined to release additional details about the circumstances surrounding Johnson’s death. A spokesperson for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said documents in the case had been sealed.

Johnson is one of 21 people killed in Portland shootings so far this year.

It wasn’t immediately known if Banks has a lawyer to comment on the cases.