Eleven people were stabbed Sunday night at a Christian homeless shelter in Salem, Oregon, in a disturbing outbreak of violence that has left the community shaken and raised new concerns about safety and mental health issues among shelter populations.
The incident occurred just after 7 p.m. at the Union Gospel Mission of Salem, a faith-based organization that provides food, shelter, and services for the homeless and vulnerable. According to Salem Police spokeswoman Angela Hedrick, a male suspect was taken into custody at the scene. Authorities have yet to release the suspect’s identity or provide further updates on the conditions of the injured individuals.
Craig Smith, Executive Director of the Union Gospel Mission, said the assailant had stayed at the shelter the night before the attack and returned Sunday evening. “Something … set him off,” Smith said. “He evidently had a knife in his bag.”
The attack unfolded moments before the suspect would have been required to turn in his belongings to shelter staff, a routine part of check-in procedures aimed at maintaining safety inside the facility. A staff member working the front desk was among those wounded in the sudden and chaotic assault.
Survivor accounts paint a harrowing picture of the event. Dan Mills, a 62-year-old front desk worker, said, “I just heard a scream. I was standing right at the front desk, probably no more than 10 feet away, and he stabbed one of the staff members.”
Bobby Epperly, 48, a resident of the shelter, described the aftermath as “like a horror movie.” Coming down from the second floor, he recalled seeing “blood everywhere.”
Another resident, Tim, said a close friend of his was stabbed while lying just a foot away from him. “The guy that is my friend and sleeps right next to me, he got stabbed in the back. So yeah, I thought I was next, for sure,” he said.
Police are working with the shelter to review security camera footage that captured the incident in full. “We’re sharing video with them,” Smith confirmed. “The whole incident is on video.”
The Union Gospel Mission, founded in 1952 by a group of Christian men, has long been a pillar of the Salem community. The shelter provides housing for up to 150 individuals each night and relies on faith-based principles to support its mission of rehabilitation and recovery.
The attack has sparked renewed discussions about security at homeless shelters and the challenges posed by mental illness and unpredictable behavior within vulnerable populations. Conservative leaders have consistently pointed to the need for stronger oversight in urban areas where violent incidents are becoming more common in shelters and on the streets.
This incident also comes amid ongoing debates about the role of faith-based organizations in serving at-risk communities. While Christian shelters like the Union Gospel Mission offer crucial support, they increasingly face the same dangers found in larger, secular facilities—often without the same level of funding or institutional support.
Critics have long warned that lenient criminal justice policies and a lack of mental health resources are fueling instability among transient populations. The fact that the suspect had stayed at the shelter the previous night without issue underscores how rapidly such situations can escalate.
As police continue to investigate, residents and staff at the shelter are trying to recover from the trauma. “This was supposed to be a safe place,” one resident said. “Now, we’re all just trying to understand what happened—and why.”
Authorities are expected to release more information in the coming days as the investigation develops. For now, the shelter remains open but shaken, with staff and guests calling for healing, accountability, and stronger safeguards to prevent future violence.
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