‘Like a horror movie’: stabbing attack at US homeless shelter injures 12 people
A witness described ‘blood everywhere’ after a man with a 20cm knife went on a stabbing spree
A dozen people were injured in a stabbing attack at an Oregon homeless shelter on Sunday night, and a suspect was arrested, police said.
A man with a 20cm knife walked into the lobby of the Union Gospel Mission in Salem at around 7.15pm local time, the Salem Police Department said on Monday. The man had been talking to people in the lobby when he allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed several people, according to police.
Other people in the vicinity were hurt when they tried to intervene, police said. The man then left the building and stabbed others who were nearby, sitting outside.
Police arrested a suspect identified as Tony Williams, 42, across the street from the shelter.
Eleven victims, including two shelter staff members, were taken to a hospital for treatment and a 12th victim was identified as officers interviewed witnesses. Police said the victims suffered “varying types of injuries”. All of the injured were men between the ages of 26 and 57, police said.
Five people remained hospitalised on Monday with serious injuries.