UPDATE 3:49 P.M.
A man drove his truck into a south Salem home Tuesday morning, shot a woman inside and then led police on a 50-mile pursuit into the Santiam Canyon before fatally shooting himself, the Salem Police Department announced in a news release.
Police have not identified the suspect or provided any information about his relationship with the victim, who also was not identified.
Officers responded around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday to reports that a man had driven his truck into a home in the 1300 block of Southeast Vista Avenue then shot a woman inside the home. The man then fled, according to the police statement.
The woman was taken to Salem Hospital with critical injuries.
“Officers learned of a possible threat to the victim’s children who attend Morningside Elementary School near the residence,” according to the statement.
As a precaution, the school was put on lockdown and Salem police sent officers to the school as a precaution.
Emergency dispatchers gave police agencies in the area a description of the suspect and truck.
Around 11:15 a.m., Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies located the man driving east on Oregon Highway 22 and “were able to get the vehicle stopped just outside the city limits of Detroit,” the statement said. Salem police did not clarify how deputies stopped the truck.
The stop occurred at about milepost 47, just west of Detroit State Recreation Area and near Tumble Creek.
Deputies approached the truck and learned the driver was dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Salem police said Tuesday afternoon that the scenes in Salem and on the highway were part of their investigation and the agency would not release additional details.
The highway remained closed outside the city of Detroit in both directions until Tuesday afternoon, when state transportation officials advised that one lane had been reopened.
UPDATE 12:35 P.M. – SCHOOL LOCKDOWN LIFTED
Morningside Elementary School lifted its lockdown at 12:24 p.m. following a shooting at a nearby home.
Police and district officials notified the school around 10:45 a.m. that they were investigating the shooting, Principal Scott Stenlund said in an email to families. The school was immediately placed on lockdown.
Stenlund said the school will keep all activities inside and have security onsite for the rest of the day.
“At no time was there any danger inside our school. All students and staff remained safe throughout this event,” Stenlund wrote. “While on-site, law enforcement were carrying firearms, which we know your student may have seen or been aware of. We know this response may have caused concern for families, but please know that our district safety teams, law enforcement and staff here at our school will always work closely to protect and maintain the safety of our students and staff in our school.”
State Highway 22 remains closed near Tumble Creek, about a half-mile west of the entrance to the Detroit Lake State Recreation Area, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
Original story below:
Police are pursuing a suspect following a shooting Tuesday morning at a home near Morningside Elementary School in Salem.
The school, located at 3513 12th St. S.E., was locked down around 11 a.m.
Salem police sent officers to the school as a precaution, but there was no shooting at the school, police spokeswoman Angela Hendrick said. Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies were pursuing the suspect, she said.
Hendrick said she did not have more details about the shooting immediately available.
Morningside families were notified at 11:19 a.m. that the lockdown had been downgraded, allowing classes at the school to resume, said Aaron Harada, Salem-Keizer School District spokesman.
“Our school has begun to de-escalate our security condition for our lockdown to allow instruction to continue inside the school. All students and staff are safe; however, out of an abundance of caution our school is remaining in a lockdown while law enforcement conduct their work outside of our school,” the message said.
State Highway 22 is closed between mileposts 47 and 49, about two miles west of Detroit, due to “law enforcement activity,” the state Department of Transportation announced in a news release.
Drivers were asked to use an alternate route such as State Highway 20 or delay their trip if possible. The west side of McKenzie Pass is also closed for the winter.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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