( CNN ) -- A man accused of shooting into a crowd outside an under-21 nightclub -- killing two teenage girls and wounding seven other people -- before shooting himself was in critical condition Monday , police in Portland , Oregon , said . A shooting outside a Portland nightclub Staurday killed two people and injured seven others , police said . Investigators identified the gunman in Saturday night 's shooting in Portland as Erik Salvadore Ayala , 24 , and are trying to determine why the rampage happened , police said . `` This is unprecedented in the city of Portland . We do n't have this type of thing , '' Portland police Detective Mary Wheat said , adding that even seasoned police veterans were shocked by what she called `` a random act of violence . '' `` Nobody knows the motive at this time , '' Wheat said , noting that Ayala did n't have a police record . `` We 're trying to figure what drove him to this . '' Investigators believe Ayala sprayed bullets into a crowd of students outside a non-alcohol nightclub called The Zone on Saturday night and then shot himself , authorities said . The students were participants in a Rotary Club foreign exchange program . Slain were Ashley Wilks , 16 , and a Peruvian exchange student , Marta `` Tika '' Paz De Noboa , 17 , according to Wheat . Wilks , a Portland high school sophomore , was getting ready to spend her junior year in either France or Spain , her principal said . Two juveniles , four 18-year-olds and a man in his 40s were wounded , Wheat said , adding that exchange students were among those hurt . Scott Bieber , youth protection officer for the exchange program in northern Oregon and southwestern Washington , said the shooting was `` nothing like anything we 've ever seen in Rotary before , to have as many of our kids involved in something as tragic at one time . '' `` Our main focus right now is to build a support structure for the students who were involved and their host families and their real families , and also for the families of the 28 other inbound students we have in our Rotary district , '' Bieber said . Eleven exchange students went to the club to celebrate a birthday and were waiting in line when the assault began , Bieber said . Wheat said a 9 mm handgun was used in the shooting . `` It does n't appear at this time that he reloaded , '' she said . Paz De Noboa was attending Columbia High School in White Salmon , Washington . School officials were helping students deal with their grief over the incident , and counselors were available , said Superintendent Dale Palmer and Vice Superintendent Jerry Lewis of the White Salmon Valley School District . `` She was very shy and reserved , '' Palmer said . `` I think she was a good student and helpful to other struggling students . '' Matt Utterback -- principal of Ashley Wilks ' school , Clackamas High School -- issued a statement on the school 's Web site confirming Wilks ' death and the wounding of Susy De Sousa , an 18-year-old foreign exchange student from Italy . Wilks ' was a `` bright and curious student '' who took honors classes and was a member of the swimming team , Utterback said . He passed along praise from her teachers and her swim coach . `` An awesome student with a beautiful smile . She was the kind of person that lights up a room . A truly wonderful , delightful kid , '' Utterback said . About De Sousa , Utterback said : `` Susy challenges herself to take rigorous classes despite the fact that English is her second language . She has a good sense of humor and is known for her persistence . '' De Sousa was in critical condition but improving , Wheat said . Classes were not in session Monday because it was a teacher workday . Utterback said counseling was available for students , and deplored the shooting . `` Such a horrific act is impossible to accept or understand , '' he said .
Two teens killed , seven other people wounded in Portland , Oregon , USA . Investigators ` ` trying to figure out what led [ gunman ] to this , '' police says . Police identify shooter as 24-year - old man , say he shot himself . He had come to the club to celebrate a birthday .