Salem boy, 16, accused of Tuesday shooting in West Salem
A Salem teenager is accused of firing gunshots in a West Salem neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.
The 16-year-old boy was arrested and is being prosecuted in Polk County Juvenile Court, the Salem Police Department said in a news release Wednesday. The agency provided few details about the shooting, including if anyone else was involved in the incident or what crimes the boy is accused of.
Juvenile court records are generally confidential under state law, and Salem Reporter does not typically identify minors facing allegations.
People reported hearing multiple gunshots around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Northwest Elm Street and Northwest Kingwood Avenue.
Witnesses described a suspect to responding officers who used a police canine team to search the area.
Police found the suspect at a home in the 1300 block of Northwest Elm Street. They also seized a semi-automatic rifle “which appeared altered,” according to the statement.
The boy was in the custody of the Yamhill County Department of Community Justice’s juvenile detention facility as of Wednesday afternoon.
Police said no one was injured. A neighbor told police that a bullet damaged a window at their home.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered the justice system and public safety 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.
