Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement deputies responded to reports of a possible hostage situation at an address in Salem, at around 12:30pm.
Multiple people died at a property in Oregon on Monday during what police described as a «hostage situation».
A trained hostage negotiatior was dispatched to the house on Juneva Place, but as the «incident unfolded, shots were fired,» the Marion County Sheriff’s Office statement added.
There were «multiple fatalities» including the suspect; no deputies got injured. There is no reason to believe there is any ongoing threat to the public, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Sheriff’s office declined to provide information regarding how many people were killed, who killed them, or what led up to the deaths.
Any deputies involved in the shooting would be placed on administrative leave while the incident is being investigated, as outlined by protocol, officials said.
The sheriff’s office said Oregon State Police are at the scene and leading an investigation.
Portland, which is about 45 miles northeast of Salem, has been at the centre of protests that swept the US following the killing of George Floyd in May.
Demonstrations continued last week following Kentucky prosecutors’ decision not to directly charge any officer with the killing of Breonna Taylor, a black woman gunned down in her Louisville home in March.
Over the weekend, the far-right group Proud Boys descended on Portland to hold what its members — some of them armed — described as a «free speech» event in support of president Donald Trump.
About 1,000 supporters gathered in the city for what turned out to be a largely peaceful event. The rally in a north Portland park ended after a few hours of speeches and chants, many against anti-fascists and Black Lives Matter groups which held a nearby counter-protest.
