Twelve people were left with stab wounds after a man went on a stabbing spree inside a homeless shelter in Salem, Oregon. The alleged suspect, Tony Latrell Williams, was arrested and recently released; surveillance footage shows how the disturbing attack in Union Gospel Mission began on June 1.
The video, over 30 seconds long, captures the moment Williams becomes violent while standing in the lobby with multiple men. He suddenly discards a bag and pounces on the first victim. When another man tries to intervene, he charges at him with his weapon and stabs the individual as well.
A third man was stabbed several times when he tried to restore order in the homeless shelter. The third victim falls to the ground while the attacker continues to inflict stab wounds, causing a bloody scene. A struggle ensued on the ground, and Williams relentlessly continued the attack even when the victim tried to stand.
Afterwards, he fled the building and reportedly continued the attacks outside, resulting in 12 injured individuals. Among the wounded were two staff members, were injured during the incident. The other victims were identified as guests at the shelter and pedestrians near the property.
When responding officers arrived at the scene, Williams was still within the shelter’s vicinity. Police found him with an 8-inch knife across the street from the property. Following the incident, he was charged with eleven counts of second-degree assault and one count of attempted murder.
According to reports, citing court documents, Williams admitted to stabbing the victims during his June 2 arraignment but justified his actions by claiming self-defence. However, the footage does not corroborate his version of what happened, as the first three attacks appear unprovoked.
Additionally, Williams is not a first-time offender. He is a 42-year-old from Bend who has mental health issues and a violent history, per court documents. His criminal record includes at least 3 previous knife-wielding cases in Deschutes County.
One of the incidents resulted in his arrest in 2016, but he was deemed to be unfit for trial after a mental evaluation was conducted. Williams was subsequently sent to the Oregon State Hospital for inpatient treatment.
After his release, he went back and forth between hospitals and mental health programmes and frequently found himself in jail.
