Cars and carousel building damaged during shootout at Riverfront Park in Salem

Capi Lynn, Salem Statesman Journal
Updated ·1 min read

The Salem Police Department is investigating a shooting incident Wednesday at Riverfront Park that caused damage to multiple vehicles and the carousel building.

Police responded at 1:20 a.m. to multiple calls of gunfire at the park. Officers located multiple vehicles in the parking lot damaged by gunfire, and damage to Salem's Riverfront Carousel building.

One of the glass doors to the Gift Gallery at Salem's Riverfront Carousel was shattered by gunfire early Wednesday morning at Riverfront Park.
One of the glass doors to the Gift Gallery at Salem's Riverfront Carousel was shattered by gunfire early Wednesday morning at Riverfront Park.

The carousel was open as usual Thursday morning despite yellow caution tape at one entrance and a large sheet of plywood near another.

The caution tape cordoned off double glass doors to the gift gallery, one shattered and being held together with black tape. The plywood covered where a large window near the main entrance once was.

"None of our animals were injured, thank goodness," said Marie Bradford-Blevins, executive director of the carousel.

Bradford-Blevins arrived on-site after getting a call from police just before 2 a.m. She said an officer told her there had been "a shootout in the carousel parking lot, and we had been hit."

Carousel officials provided video from the building's security cameras to police. Officers searched inside the building, including on the carousel platform, for bullets. At least one hit a wall inside.

At least two cars, including one riddled with nine bullet holes, were towed from the parking lot.

The city owns the building, but Bradford-Blevins said the carousel is responsible for repairs. It will cost the nonprofit organization about $2,200 to replace the glass.

Salem Police posted on social media Thursday morning that detectives from its Violent Crimes Unit are asking for the public's help in the investigation. They also shared audio of the gunfire.

If you have information or witnessed the incident, call the department's Tips Line at 503-588-8477.

Capi Lynn is a senior reporter for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips to her at clynn@statesmanjournal.com, and follow her work on X @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Cars, carousel building damaged by gunfire at Riverfront Park in Salem