Stabbing attack at Oregon homeless shelter injures a dozen people

SALEM, Ore. -- A twelve radical were injured successful a stabbing onslaught astatine an Oregon stateless structure connected Sunday night, and a fishy was arrested, constabulary said.

A antheral with an eight-inch (20-cm) weapon walked into the lobby of the Union Gospel Mission successful Salem astir 7:15 p.m., the Salem Police Department said connected Monday. The antheral had been talking to radical successful the lobby erstwhile helium allegedly pulled retired a weapon and stabbed respective people, according to police.

Other radical successful the vicinity were wounded erstwhile they tried to intervene, constabulary said. The antheral past near the gathering and stabbed others who were nearby, sitting outside.

Police arrested a fishy identified arsenic Tony Williams, 42, crossed the thoroughfare from the shelter.

Eleven victims, including 2 structure unit members, were taken to a infirmary for attraction and a 12th unfortunate was identified arsenic officers interviewed witnesses. Police said the victims suffered “varying types of injuries.” All of the injured were men betwixt the ages of 26 and 57, constabulary said.

Five radical remained hospitalized Monday with superior injuries.

Police haven't specified a motive for the stabbings, but said it didn't look targeted astatine radical who are homeless.

Craig Smith, the shelter's enforcement director, said successful an online connection that the 2 unit members were among those inactive hospitalized connected Monday.

“As you tin imagine, our guests and unit are shaken up and grieving,” the connection said. “Already we are successful speech and meetings with unit and guests to sermon information improvements, to the champion of our ability, moving forward.”

Williams was traveling by autobus from Portland to Deschutes County erstwhile helium got disconnected successful Salem connected Saturday, according to Salem Police Violent Crimes Unit detectives. He visited the structure connected Saturday but didn't enactment overnight, structure officials said. The adjacent night, Williams arrived astatine the structure soon earlier the telephone for constabulary assistance.

“I’m successful disbelief that thing similar this could happen. We are astir acrophobic with those who are inactive successful infirmary and for those who were conscionable there. It’s a hard happening to process,” Salem Mayor Julie Hoy said.

Bobby Epperly was connected the 2nd level erstwhile helium said helium saw the antheral screaming extracurricular astatine postulation and holding a knife, the Salem Statesman Journal reported.

“It’s similar a fearfulness movie,” Epperly said. He said helium didn't recognize immoderate radical had already been stabbed wrong the gathering until helium went downstairs and saw “blood everywhere.”

Up to 150 men question refuge astatine the structure each night, according to its website.

Caleb Rennie, 19, was driving that agelong of roadworthy arsenic helium does each time and saw the apprehension successful advancement truthful started signaling it with his cellphone.

“Two cops had their guns drawn erstwhile they were moving crossed the street, truthful that benignant of helped maine recognize the gravity of the concern and that's besides wherefore I started recording,” Rennie said.

His video appears to amusement a antheral facedown connected the crushed arsenic 2 constabulary officers attack the antheral with guns and past enactment what look similar handcuffs astir his wrists. People retired of presumption tin beryllium heard yelling expletives and different antheral approaches with what appears to beryllium a crutch oregon walking instrumentality and is told to backmost up.

“Never person I ever seen thing similar that before,” connected that street, helium said.

Alan Humphreys, 67, was extracurricular the structure erstwhile the antheral with the weapon came extracurricular and started stabbing radical who helium said helium aboriginal saw lying connected the crushed "bleeding bad."

“It was truly superior past night, I mean truly serious," Humphreys said. “I’m conscionable gladsome it’s each implicit with now.”

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AP writer Lisa Baumann contributed to this communicative from Bellingham, Washington.