Your Friday evening update on Salem news

A note from Managing Editor Rachel Alexander:

Good evening, Salem.

Western University of Health Sciences Lebanon Oregon

We’ve heard from over a dozen of you in recent days with questions and comments about last week’s shooting in Bush’s Pasture Park.

The Thursday shooting left 16-year-old Jose Vasquez-Valenzuela dead and two other teens wounded. Over the weekend, Nathaniel McCrae, 16, turned himself in to police and was charged with murder and attempted murder. Both the victim and shooter were sophomores at South Salem High School.

Many of you wanted to know why this happened.

You’ve asked whether the incident involved gangs, why the teens weren’t in school, what resources might have helped them avoid violence, and where the shooter got the gun he used to kill a classmate.

Right now, we don’t have answers to those questions. We are continuing to report and urging police, the school district and others to share what they can with the community so we can provide accurate information and help quell rumors.

Our team met this morning to discuss how we can best inform the community about the events leading up to this tragedy and the response — as well as what might prevent future violence.

We’re mindful of the fact that this is an active criminal investigation, which means some information won’t be public yet as investigators and prosecutors work on the case. School records for individual students are generally confidential without parent authorization. But in every instance, we’ll let you know what information we’ve tried to find out and what the result has been.

We know the shooting has been especially traumatic for the South Salem High School community. I’ll be at tonight’s forum at South Salem High School to discuss school safety so I can report what school and district leaders have to say about the lockdown last week.

If you’re a student, parent or community member with thoughts to share about the school’s response, you can find me in an orange fleece jacket with a notebook in hand. I’ve also arranged to talk to some students at South about their experience during the lockdown and in the following days.

In the coming days, we plan to bring you reports on how the shooting has affected South, and how the school and district handled a high-stakes lockdown, including the lessons learned.

Our team is also tracking McCrae’s criminal case.

As we learn more about what took place in the park before shots rang out, we’ll let you know.

We welcome your thoughts, questions and feedback. Contact me anytime at [email protected].

Here’s some of today’s news. Catch our latest reports anytime on our website.

www.salemreporter.com

Stapleton to withdraw from council race to seek state House seat

Salem City Council President Virginia Stapleton plans to run for House District 21. If she wins the Democratic nomination, she’ll challenge Rep. Kevin Mannix for the seat representing north Salem.

www.salemreporter.com

Salem veteran gets seat at State of the Union, says president ‘owned the floor’

IN WASHINGTON: A Salem volunteer who works on veterans issue was the guest of U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas at the recent State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. Rosy…

www.salemreporter.com

Community forum on gun violence prompts calls for more information in Spanish

At a community meeting on gun violence last week, Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack announced that the Marion County Sheriff’s Office is preparing a report on shootings across the county,…

www.salemreporter.com

PHOTOS: Mayor, police chief convene meeting in east Salem on reducing violence

City officials said last week that a public forum was their first step in working with law enforcement agencies and community organizations to reduce shootings.

www.salemreporter.com

UPDATED: 16-year-old boy turns himself in, charged with fatal shooting at Bush’s Pasture Park

Nathaniel S. McCrae Jr., 16, faces charges including murder and attempted murder for his role in a shooting that killed one boy and injured two others on Thursday at Bush’s…

NEWS TIP? Send your information or idea to [email protected]. If your topic requires confidentiality, contact Managing Editor Rachel Alexander: [email protected].

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Stapleton to withdraw from council race to seek state House seat

Salem veteran gets seat at State of the Union, says president ‘owned the floor’

Community forum on gun violence prompts calls for more information in Spanish

PHOTOS: Mayor, police chief convene meeting in east Salem on reducing violence

UPDATED: 16-year-old boy turns himself in, charged with fatal shooting at Bush’s Pasture Park

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