Oregon Public Broadcasting

Two homeless men were shot in Portland Wednesday morning, as they slept on a sidewalk. The suspect drove by in a van.

Police say someone opened fire on the two men on inner southeast Belmont Street. They were underneath an overpass leading to the Morrison Bridge. One man was grazed by a bullet on the side of his body and the second was shot in the chest. He's been transported to a hospital with possible life-threatening injuries.

Arashi Young / OPB

Brian Merrell of the Portland Rescue Mission says people in the homeless community are both saddened and scared.

Merrell said, "It's very devastating. Hard to imagine that those things are happening here in our community. And it really just adds to the anxiety of the homeless people that we're serving."

Police say they have no motive for the crime. They're asking for any witnesses to come forward. They're looking for a black, newer, 4 door truck without a canopy.

About half the homeless people who completed the 2011 street count reported being a victim of a physical attack.