An argument at a homeless encampment at Wallace Marine Park early Thursday morning resulted in two men being shot, one fatally, according to the Salem Police Department.
The agency said in a statement Thursday afternoon that it had made no arrests in the shooting.
Police identified the deceased victim as 29-year-old Charley A. Hodges.
Another man, 25, remained hospitalized Thursday afternoon with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Police said they would not release the surviving victim’s name until his family is notified of the shooting.
The shooting occurred just after 3 a.m. “The initial investigation indicates a dispute over property occurred at a homeless campsite in the north side of the park,” Salem police said in the statement.
One man fired a gun during the argument, killing Hodges and injuring the other man. “No other weapons were used in the incident,” police said.
A city report in November analyzing shootings in Salem showed more unsheltered people were victims of gun violence in the last three years than in previous years.
They made up less than 3% of victims from 2018 to 2020, but that number jumped to nearly 20% of victims between 2021 and 2023. Meanwhile, there was no significant increase in the share of homeless people who were suspects in gun crimes.
The west Salem park was closed for several hours due to the shooting but has since been reopened to the public.
A GoFundMe is available to raise money for Hodges’ funeral expenses and to help loved ones travel to the ceremony.
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UPDATE: 1 man dead, another wounded in early morning shooting at Wallace Marine Park
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.
