Twelve individuals were stabbed Sunday night at a men’s shelter in Salem, one more than previously reported; five are still in critical condition, Salem police confirmed Monday morning.
The man in arrest has been named by police as Tony Latrell Williams, 42, of Bend. An early investigation indicates that it was not a targeted attack, but the investigation is still ongoing.
Last night, something horrific happened in Salem,” Salem Mayor Julie Hoy told reporters Monday morning.
At approximately 7:15 p.m., Salem police officers responded to a complaint that numerous people had been stabbed at the Union Gospel Mission Salem of Men’s Mission, situated at 777 Commercial Street Northeast.
On Sunday night, Salem police reported that 11 individuals were taken to Salem Health, each with “varying types of injuries.” One more victim was discovered while officers were interrogating witnesses, Salem Police Deputy Chief Treven Upkes told reporters Monday morning.
Witnesses said that Williams, the suspect, was interacting with people in the shelter’s lobby when he pulled out a knife and attacked multiple people, Upkes said. Others in the nearby area sought to interfere and were hurt. He then fled the premises and stabbed several others who were seated outdoors near the facility.
Williams then proceeded to walk across Commercial Street, where police officers arrested him and recovered the knife, which authorities said was about 8 inches long.
According to Upkes, the victims include two Union Gospel Mission staff members and ten guests who were either in the shelters or lounging outdoors. All are men aged 26 to 57.
“It’s been a tough night,” said Craig Smith, Union Gospel Mission’s executive director.
The men’s shelter, which opened in 2021, has around 284 beds in a 57,000-square-foot facility. When men arrive to the shelter at night, they are assigned a room and must check in all of their things, which are stored in a locked room overnight. This is primarily for security.
“We don’t allow anyone to bring their belongings into the mission, and that’s because we don’t check bags,” Smith told the crowd. “We just store them.”
During the check-in process, Williams pulled out a knife. “We’re not sure what happened,” Smith added.
“One of my guys is in the hospital in very critical condition,” he informed me.
Smith claimed Williams was new to the facility. “He’s only been with us for one or two days, and some kind of an incident happened when he came in.”
According to authorities, Williams was riding an intercity bus from Portland to Deschutes County when he got off in Salem on Saturday. Upkes told reporters that Williams reportedly arrived at the shelter on Sunday evening, shortly before police got reports of the attack.
He is charged with 11 charges of second-degree assault and one count of attempted murder, according to court filings. Williams was first charged with twelve counts of second-degree assault, which is a Class B felony. Salem police said the investigation is still ongoing, and charges might be escalated.
Police claimed they don’t know what motivated the attack or what happened beforehand.
Mayor Hoy said she learned about the incident late Sunday night via text. She expressed “shock and disbelief” that something like this could occur.
“Most concerned with those who are still in the hospital and those who were just there,” she told me. “It’s a difficult thing to process.”
The suspect is set to appear in court later Monday.
Reference: Salem mass stabbing: Number of victims now 12, with 5 still in hospital; suspect identified