Stabbing attack at Oregon homeless shelter sends 11 people to hospital, man in custody

A man was arrested on suspicion of stabbing multiple people at a homeless shelter Sunday night, injuring 12 people and sending 11 to the hospital.

Five men were still in the hospital Monday with serious but non-life-threatening injuries after the stabbing attack at the Union Gospel Mission, Deputy Chief Treven Upkes said.

Officers were called out at about 7:15 pm Sunday to the shelter, the Salem Police Department said in a statement, saying the victims suffered ''varying types of injuries.'' The suspect — identified as Tony Latrell Williams, 42 — was travelling by bus from Portland to Deschutes County when he got off in Salem on Saturday, May 31, according to Salem Police Violent Crimes Unit detectives. The next night, Williams arrived at the shelter shortly before the call for police assistance. The preliminary investigation suggests the altercation was not a targeted attack.

''I'm in disbelief that something like this could happen. We are most concerned with those who are still in hospital and for those who were just there. It's a difficult thing to process,'' said Salem Mayor Julie Hoy.

Craig Smith, executive director of the centre, told NBC News late Sunday that the attacker was new to the mission, having spent Saturday night there, and was about to check in for a second night when he got into a fight.

''Something ... set him off, and he evidently had a knife in his bag,'' Smith said.

The altercation happened right before the man would have handed over his belongings to staff, and at least two staffers, one who was working the mission's check-in desk, was injured in the attack, Smith said.

Bobby Epperly was on the second floor when he said he saw the man screaming outside at traffic and holding a knife, the Salem Statesman Journal reported.

''It's like a horror movie,'' said Epperly, 48. He said he didn't realise some people had already been stabbed inside the building until he went downstairs and saw ''blood everywhere.'' Messages seeking comment were left with the hospital and at the mission, where up to 150 homeless men seek refuge each night, according to its website.

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