Salem Man Reportedly Turns Gun on Himself After Confrontation with Deputy

A police bomb squad is currently on scene at Lancaster and Center where a vehicle connected to the dead man may be rigged with a bomb.

Video and photo by Jerry Freeman Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - A bizarre story in Salem tonight is still unwinding and the facts are not all in, but we know that police are currently on the scene of a suspected car bomb, connected to a man who fatally turned a gun on himself earlier this evening.

A man under investigation for domestic assault and kidnapping, whose name has not been released, shot himself this evening in Salem, after he was confronted by a deputy. Law enforcement officers now say that a vehicle belonging to the dead man's girlfriend, may have a bomb in it.

Lt. Sheila Lorance with the Marion County Sheriff's Office, says a deputy responded to a location on Midway near 36th in Salem at 5:45 p.m. over a reported kidnapping and domestic assault.

"When the deputy arrived the male subject came out of the house and confronted him with a firearm," Lorance said.

The deputy gave him verbal commands to drop the firearm, Lorance said, but the man subsequently took his own life by shooting himself.

"We have one male deceased, we have not identified him yet." It was also too soon to learn the identity of the deputy in the fatal shooting.

Lorance says the victim in the case was not at home at the time and they are continuing the investigation.

Bomb squad on scene with suspect vehicle in Salem. Photo: Austin King/Dustin Reitzer

Bomb threat

After the suspect shot himself, police learned that a Jeep Cherokee belonging to the suspect's girlfriend, who was also the victim in the domestic abuse/kidnapping case, may be rigged with a bomb.

The vehicle is located in a retail parking lot at Lancaster and Center. This is the location where the domestic abuse case initially began, according to witnesses.

Salem-News.com's Austin King is on the scene, and he confirms that police have stopped all access and traffic around the area.

All establishments there are closed and a police bomb squad is examining the Jeep Cherokee that may possibly be rigged with a bomb.

This is the location of a Salem Target store, as well as several other businesses and restaurants.

Lorance confirmed that the vehicle is being viewed suspiciously as possibly containing a bomb.

=============================================

Video