The northbound lanes of Interstate 5 north were closed near the intersection with Mission Street on Monday, April 10, as police investigated what social media accounts said was a shooting.
Video posted on social media show police officers searching brushy areas on the east side of the freeway, but spokesmen for police agencies weren’t readily available to provide information.
Capt. Kyle Kennedy of the Oregon State Police, reached by email for comment, responded: “Contact Salem PD” and provided no additional information.
Sgt. Jonathan Hardy of the Salem Police Department, reached by email for comment, said: “We are working to get what information we can out. Please be patient. We will advise when we have something.”
The department said in a tweet at 10:40 a.m. that there was “no current danger to the public.”
But KGW TV reported that an unnamed state police spokesman told the Portland station that “there is a suspect with gunshot wound.”
As a precaution, lockdowns were instituted at about 9 a.m. Monday at Houck Middle School, Roberts SLC, Four Corners, Eyre and Miller elementary schools, according to officials from the Salem-Keizer School District. The lockdowns were lifted about 15 minutes later.
“The lockdowns at our schools have now been lifted. Out of an abundance of caution, we will have heightened security measures at our campuses today and keep all activities indoors throughout the day. Students and staff are safe,” according to a statement from the school district.
Northbound traffic is being diverted to the exit at southeast Mission Street. One southbound lane is also closed near Highway 22, according to ODOT spokesman Don Hamilton.
This is a developing story
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
