Man killed by Springfield police had traveled to Oregon for mental health services, father says

Mort Kahn feared that one day the police would ring to inform him that his youngest kid had passed away.

At 10:15 p.m., that notice was sent. His 38-year-old son Daniel Aron Khan was shot and died thousands of miles away in Springfield, according to a local cop who showed up at his Houston house on Thursday.

According to his father, Daniel Khan, who was homeless and battling a number of mental diseases, including anosognosia—a neurological disorder that makes a person ignore their illness and its symptoms—was born and reared in Houston.

He stated that he thinks his son moved to Oregon from Texas in hopes of having easier access to mental health and social services.

Only a short time had passed since Daniel Kahn arrived in Springfield when he was shot and murdered by a local police officer on Wednesday.

Mort Khan expressed his family’s hope for a full recovery and expressed regret for the harm his son had caused to two Springfield police officers.

Additionally, he expressed his regret to the third Springfield police officer who had shot his kid at Happy’s Drive-Thru Car Wash.

At 2:37 p.m., police were called to Gateway Street after receiving a report of a man acting unrulily inside a shop.

According to Mort Kahn, his son had gone into a bank and was allegedly harassing customers and employees. His father was informed that the bank had called the police and wanted him to leave.

After discovering Daniel Kahn with two knives, one officer arrived and requested assistance, according to the authorities.

According to witnesses and authorities, Daniel Kahn stabbed two responding policemen before rushing inside the car wash and running north on Gateway with more officers after.

According to investigators, Daniel Kahn was shot by another Springfield cop who followed him into the car wash tunnel.

Mort Khan shared a message with The Oregonian/OregonLive, saying, “I sincerely apologize that you were forced to take my son’s life.”

He said, “I sincerely hope you get the help you need to heal and move on so you can resume your job protecting the people of Springfield, Oregon.” At some point in the future, you probably saved the life of an innocent person. With tears in my eyes, I offer you a tender, forgiving embrace and beg you to recover swiftly.

The officer who fired the fatal rounds is on leave while an inquiry is conducted, while the two wounded officers are recuperating at home. Police claim they were waiting to inform the victim’s relatives, but they have not publicly named the victim or identified any of the policemen.

Mort Khan confirmed the loss of his son and called Daniel Kahn the “apple of my eye,” describing him as a lively and entertaining boy.

However, he claimed that as a teenager, his kid started exhibiting symptoms of mental illness.

Kahn, Daniel Aron

Over the past 25 years, Daniel’s father stated, “On countless occasions, family members have helped and guided him to check himself into various mental hospitals where he could be evaluated, appropriately medicated, and guided by trained mental health experts.”

However, according to his father, Daniel Kahn did not receive long-term assistance.

Mort Khan claimed that despite the family’s best efforts, his son would feel unstoppable and take off after receiving treatment, medication, and assistance, only to go back into a downward spiral and wind up homeless and unemployed.

Daniel claimed that all of the facilities that genuinely assisted him were entirely voluntary. In Texas and everywhere else Daniel went, it seemed that there was no system in place that would have permitted the state government to detain him forcibly in order to provide him with the assistance he required.

According to Mort Kahn, he found out that his son had gone to Oregon because he believed he would receive better care there. Additionally, his son required medical care because he had a colostomy bag that required frequent changes.

According to his father, his family was concerned that if Daniel Kahn wasn’t taking psychiatric medication, he may endanger himself or others.

According to Texas records, Daniel Kahn had a criminal history that included convictions for credit card abuse in 2011, possession of a banned firearm in 2016, aggravated assault, theft, and fraud in 2018.

His father stated that he thought his son was freed early because they were unable to manage Daniel’s medical and mental health issues, despite the fact that he had been in custody in Texas for around six years for seriously attacking someone.

According to Mort Kahn, what transpired on July 30, 2025, was unavoidable in my opinion. States and the federal government must figure out how to identify individuals with severe mental illnesses and detain them against their will in order to provide them with the care they need and to safeguard the public.

According to his father, Daniel Kahn’s family had maintained phone contact with him.

Less than eight hours before his death, on Wednesday, he had his final communication with his father and a brother, according to his father.

Having reached Springfield, he had sent a message. According to his father, one of his siblings replied by providing Daniel Kahn with a comprehensive list of resources and phone numbers for assistance.

In his letter on Wednesday, Daniel Kahn expressed his desire to travel to Jerusalem, mentioned that he had improved his online chess skills, and asked his father if he could play him online someday.

Mort Kahn posted pictures of his kid as a child to demonstrate how he was before his disease set in. According to Mort Kahn, Daniel Kahn’s mother, Teresa Aguilar, passed away while he was a teenager due to her own mental health issues.

His father wrote, “Rest now, my son. Your tormented life is over, and you are with God and your mother Teresa.” How awful of a life you had to lead every day is beyond my comprehension.

— Maxine Bernstein writes about criminal justice and federal courts. 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, X@maxoregonian, Bluesky@maxbernstein.bsky.social, and LinkedIn are some of her contact details.

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