PORTLAND, Ore. -- A man opened fire outside a downtown Portland nightclub Saturday night, killing two girls and wounding seven other people before shooting himself in the head, police said.

Gunfire erupted near the popular downtown bar Kells Irish Pub and the underage nightclub The Zone at about 10:30 p.m., according to the Portland Police Bureau. Police said nine people were shot on the sidewalks and streets outside the two establishments.

By the time police arrived, 16-year-old Ashley Wilks, who attended Clackamas High School and planned to study abroad, had already died, police said. A second girl, Marta Paz De Novoa, 17, who was from Peru and had been staying with a family from White Salmon, Wash. died after being taken to a Portland hospital.

Both girls were part of a group of exchange students at The Zone to celebrate a birthday, said Chuck Itoh, chairman of the Rotary District 5100 exchange program. Six of the victims were part of the exchange program, police said.

An employee from Kells was also one of the victims who were rushed to area hospitals Saturday night. By mid-morning Sunday, two had been released, three were in stable condition and two remained in critical condition, including 18-year-old Susy De Sousa, of Italy.

At a press conference on Monday, police said three people remained in the hospital.

Portland officers said the suspect in the shooting, 24-year-old Erik Ayala, was taken to a hospital in critical condition after apparently turning the gun on himself. Ayala lives in Milwaukie. Detectives haven't been able to determine the motive and said the shooting appeared to be random.

Portland detectives searched Ayala's home and found a case for the handgun, personal information, ammunition, numerous video games and a note Ayala left for his roommate.

Police officials said Ayala left a note that made it clear he didn't intend to return home the next day. They said the note was found at his home addressed to his roommate and had information about what should be done with all his possessions and money and that it contained his social security and bank information.

Read the letter Ayala left for his roommate.

Police said the note didn't specify any action that he was about to take.

A witness told police that Ayala had been depressed, but gave no indication that he was going to harm anyone.

There was a wedding reception on the upper level of Kells Irish Pub at the time the shooting took place. Witnesses described a chaotic scene with many people running and screaming.

"If I walked out any earlier, I could have been in the (gunfire), so that was pretty scary," said Rafael Dwan, who was at Kells on Saturday night.

There's no known connection between Ayala and the victims, according to officers. Most of the victims were between the ages of 16 and 21 years old.

"The ones we saw were young," Dwan said. "One of the managers was shot as well, apparently in the stomach."

Detectives said they recovered the 9-milimeter gun used in the shooting at the scene as well as seven shell casings. Police officials said the gun had a clip that was capable of containing 12 rounds and with another bullet placed in the chamber of the gun it was able to have 13 possible bullets. The officials said that when the gun was found it had four bullets still inside.

Police said they aren't sure where Ayala got the unregistered gun, but they're investigating.

Police Chief Rosie Sizer described the shooting as "unprecedented" in Portland.

"This shooting appears to be a random act of violence, of the kind that makes you despair for America," Sizer said.

Kells and The Zone are located near the intersection of Southwest 2nd Avenue and Pine Street. The immediate area includes several bars and typically attracts a large number of people on weekend nights.

Detective Mary Wheat said it didn't appear Ayala had been inside either place before the shooting.

Related:

Exchange Students Among Victims In Downtown Shooting

2 Killed, 7 Wounded By Downtown Shooter

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