Eleven people were stabbed in a church-run homeless shelter in Salem, Oregon, directly across from the local police HQ. At least one member of staff at the Union Gospel Mission in Salem is among the wounded following the shocking scenes at around 1900 HRS Sunday. The 11 wounded were rushed to a Salem hospital with "varying types of injuries. The suspect, who is in custody and pictured below, had arrived at the mission the previous night and was about to check into the 150-person ministry again for a second night when he started brawling just as he was supposed to hand his belongings over to staff. Good thing the suspect wasn't armed with a firearm or there would have been fatalities and more injuries, like other typical mass casualty attacks in the US that we are all accustomed to.

This incident should come as no surprise to Oregonians. The Beaver State is in the midst of a worsening homelessness crisis, a problem that has plagued the state for years but has become particularly acute in recent times. Oregon ranks third in the nation for homelessness, trailing only New York and Vermont. Moreover, Oregon ranks worst for "prevalence of mental illness." 27% of adults in Oregon report suffering from mental illness, which is six percentage points higher than the national average. The ranking is based on self-reported rates of mental illness, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. Sources: Link One Link Two

The brutal GOP and Trumpf junta budget cuts to the social safety net will only exacerbate the problems of combatting homelessness and mental illness in the future.