Isidahomen “Isi” Ikhuoria Jr. left his home in Nigeria to visit friends and family in the U.S. He was here less than 20 days before he was shot and killed in Portland’s Hollywood District along with his friend Fortressen Oriakhi.
A month after his death, his family is still grappling with the loss and the lack of answers around the shooting.
“He came to the U.S. June 5,” his brother, Osi Ikhuoria, said. “June 23, it’s over.”
Family members said they don’t know why someone would want to harm Isi Ikhuoria, but that police are still working to uncover what happened that morning.
Ikhuoria, 25, was celebrating Oriakhi’s 29th birthday at Tom’s Bar on Southeast Division Street June 22. The two left early the next morning. While stopped at a red light near the intersection of Northeast Broadway and Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard, both men were shot in the head.
Officers patrolling the neighborhood heard the gunfire around 2:30 a.m. and found a car crashed into a utility pole. Oriakhi, who had been driving, died at the scene, and Ikhuoria was severely injured.
He died a week later in the hospital and was buried with Oriakhi in Corvallis.
“He was a great guy, very energetic, very positive,” said Ikhuoria’s brother, who lives in Tampa, Florida. “There’s a lot of anxiety, you know? I’ve never dealt with something like this before. I wish we had more answers.”
“It’s a horrible nightmare for our family, and for his friends,” he said.
Ikhuoria lived in Lagos, Nigeria, and graduated from the University of Benin with a degree in economics. He ran his own photography studio with a business partner.
Before graduating, Ikhuoria spent time studying abroad in Corvallis, where he developed an interest in photography, his brother said.
Ikhuoria enjoyed traveling, playing games and spending time with family and friends. He lived with a few other roommates, and they would go on road trips together to decompress from work. He also loved movies and TV shows, family said, often offering recommendations.
He was hoping to move from photography to film and was working on a short film that, now, may never be released. Ikhuoria was looking into returning to school for directing, family said.
Ikhuoria and Oriakhi met 11 years ago when Oriakhi left the U.S. to finish high school and college in Nigeria. They had remained close ever since.
Ikhuoria’s sister, Efenomen Ikhuoria, who lives in L.A., described him as kind, genuine and a problem solver – personality traits that make the shooting hard to understand, she said.
“He brought joy to every room he walked into,” she said. “We called him the problem solver, because Isi would always find a way to make things easier for you.”
Ikhuoria’s family also described Oriakhi as a respectful and kind person.
“It was a shock, obviously, a huge shock,” Efenomen Ikhuoria said of the shooting.
Isi Ikhuoria had visited both siblings before coming to Oregon and was planning to fly back to Tampa, Florida, to spend more time with his brother.
Little is known about the early-morning shooting, and police have not released updates on the investigation. No arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified.
For Efenomen Ikhuoria, the act of violence has changed her perspective on safety in the U.S.
“Everybody knows the phrase ‘the American dream,’” she said. “The place where you can start a new life, and find new opportunities. Now, it’s a place where you can randomly meet your death.”
Police ask anyone with information on the shooting to contact Detective Travis Law at [email protected] or (503)823-0395 or Detective Ryan Foote at [email protected] or (503)823-0781 and reference case number 23-164650.
– Austin De Dios; [email protected]; @austindedios; 503-319-9744
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