An unnamed man, who is now in custody, allegedly carried out a violent knife attack at a homeless shelter in Oregon. As a result, 11 people were hospitalized, with the suspect having spent a day at the shelter before a fight escalated into his alleged stabbing.
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As reported by NBC News, citing police sources, the incident occurred at around 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, June 1, at the Union Gospel Mission’s Men’s Mission. This homeless shelter opened in 2021 and is located right across the street from the Salem Police Department.
Union Gospel Mission Executive Director Craig Smith revealed to the outlet that the suspect was new to the mission. Reportedly, he had spent Saturday night there. On Sunday, he was about to check in for a second night in a row, but a fight broke out.
“Something … set him off, and he evidently had a knife in his bag,” Craig said.
Before handing over his belongings to the Mission’s staff, the alleged knife attack took place after the fight broke out. One of the staff members working at the check-in desk was injured. Craig added that victims were found outside the facility and in the facility’s day room.
In total, 11 people were injured during he incident, all of whom were transported to Salem Health Hospital. The severity of the injuries has not been made public. However, the Salem Statesman Journal reported that one of the victims was “bleeding heavily from the neck.”
Knife Attack Witnesses
Witnesses present at the scene at the time of the incident recalled the chaos and horror that ensued during the alleged stabbing. Malik Law told the Salem Statesman Journal that he saw the suspect stabbing at least seven people.
“Everybody was basically trying to move out of his way,” Law said. “He started attacking them.”
A 62-year-old man, Dan Mills, who lives at UGM’s Men’s Mission, was at the front desk when he saw the attack.
“I just heard a scream,” Mills recalled. “I was standing right at the front desk, I was probably no more than 10 feet away, and he stabbed one of the staff members.”
Similarly, 48-year-old Bobby Epperly, who also lives at the mission, heard people scream. He was on the facility’s second floor at the time of the attack. After he went downstairs, he saw “blood everywhere,” and described the scene as “a horror movie.”
The suspect’s identity has not been released. Details on what charges he could face are still unknown.