Mass stabbing in downtown Salem as at least 11 people are rushed to hospital

A stabbing spree at a homeless shelter in downtown Salem, Oregon on Sunday left at least 11 people injured.

Salem Police said they responded to a call about a stabbing incident involving multiple victims at the Union Gospel Mission of Salem at around 7.15pm, the Statesman Journal reports.

Eleven people were then transported to Salem Health hospital with various injuries as the unidentified suspect was taken into custody.

Video posted online appeared to show officers apprehending a man lying facedown on the sidewalk. 

The victims were described in emergency radio traffic as being inside the shelter, in front of the business and across the street.

One victim was also described as ‘bleeding heavily from the neck,’ according to the Statesman Journal. 

The identity of the suspect and a motive for the attack remain unclear.

But witness Malik Law said he watched in horror as the man stabbed at least seven people.

‘Everybody was basically trying to move out of his way,’ Law told the Statesman Journal. ‘He started attacking them.’ 

Dan Mills, 62, who lives at the shelter, also said he was working at the front desk when the suspect entered.

Other employees then tried to get the man to leave, as the building was closed to the public at the time, when the man allegedly started stabbing people.

‘I just heard a scream,’ Mills said, noting that he had never seen the suspect before.

‘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.’ 

Meanwhile, Bobby Epperly, 48, said he was upstairs and saw the man outside of the building, screaming at traffic while holding a knife.

He did not realize anyone had already been stabbed, he said, until he went downstairs and saw ‘blood everywhere.’ 

Detectives are now continuing to investigate, and warned residents to avoid the area.  

Police said they will not be providing any updates overnight.