A 45-year-old Portland man was listed in critical condition Wednesday evening after being shot Tuesday night near the Oxford Street Shelter.

The shooting happened on Oxford Street near Elm Street about 10:30 p.m., Portland police said. The man’s injuries are considered life-threatening. His name is not being released.

The suspect remained at large Wednesday evening, but is not considered a threat to the public, Portland police said.

Lt. Robert Martin said a Portland police officer was in the area of the Oxford Street Shelter, Portland’s primary emergency shelter for homeless adults, when he saw some kind of altercation and heard gunfire. He ran to the area and administered first aid until the victim could be taken to Maine Medical Center where police said he was in critical condition as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Police did not describe the interaction between the victim and shooter, and hadn’t released a description of the suspect Wednesday night.

Martin said Wednesday morning that police were not sure whether the confrontation was only between the shooter and the victim, or whether others were involved. He also said police were sorting out descriptions of the shooter from witnesses.

The shooting occurred in the Bayside neighborhood, where residents are already on edge. Law enforcement and residents have grappled in recent years with street behavior – including fights and drug use – that has become increasingly aggressive.

Portland officials are considering a recommendation by the city manager to relocate the Oxford Street Shelter to city-owned land at the Barron Center campus on Brighton Avenue, close to the city border with Westbrook. That shelter would replace the cramped and outdated Oxford Street Shelter, which, along with other social services agencies, has contributed to the growing concerns in the Bayside neighborhood.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Portland Police Department at 874-8575.

Gillian Graham can be contacted at 791-6315 or at:

ggraham@pressherald.com

Twitter: grahamgillian

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