A two-alarm fire tore through the roof of Hallman Elementary School in northeast Salem late Thursday night, causing an estimated $500,000 in damage and forcing the school to cancel classes. Within hours, police had a suspect in custody: 32-year-old Shayd Pursifull of Keizer, arrested by Keizer police and now facing multiple charges.
The Salem Fire Department was called to the school at approximately 10:06 p.m. Thursday, according to Salem Reporter. The blaze grew serious enough that Keizer Fire District and Marion County Fire District sent additional crews to assist. Fire crews located one employee inside the building when they arrived, according to KOIN, and no injuries were reported.
That employee told Salem police they had seen a person on the roof before the fire started, per the same account from KOIN. Salem officers deployed an aerial drone to locate the suspect, according to a statement from the Salem Police Department. Officers were initially unable to locate the suspect, who had left the area before they arrived.
School Security Helped Track Down the Suspect
The break in the case came through Salem-Keizer Public Schools' own security operation. District personnel helped police identify Pursifull as a suspect, according to authorities cited by KOIN. Keizer Police then located and detained him at approximately 1:37 a.m. Friday, roughly three and a half hours after the fire was first called in.
The district's Safety and Risk Management department relies on dedicated Campus Safety Specialists and Field Coordinators who partner with local police to monitor facilities and coordinate emergency responses across the district's more than 80 facilities, according to Salem-Keizer Public Schools. That existing infrastructure appears to have played a direct role in narrowing down a suspect within hours of the fire.
Charges Filed After School Fire
Pursifull was booked into Marion County Jail and remains there pending further court proceedings, per KOIN's report. According to Marion County Circuit Court records cited by Salem Reporter, he faces two counts of first-degree arson, one count of first-degree criminal mischief, and one count of reckless endangering. KOIN also reported that Pursifull had an unrelated criminal warrant at the time of his arrest.
Pursifull was booked into Marion County Jail and remains there pending further court proceedings, per KOIN's report. According to Marion County Circuit Court records cited by Salem Reporter, he faces two counts of first-degree arson, one count of first-degree criminal mischief, and one count of reckless endangering. KOIN also reported that Pursifull had an unrelated criminal warrant at the time of his arrest. First-degree arson is addressed under Oregon Revised Statute 164.325. The fire caused an estimated $500,000 in damage. The investigation remains ongoing, according to KOIN.
Classes Canceled After Fire
Hallman Elementary canceled classes Friday after the fire, according to KGW.
The school sits on Deerhaven Drive NE, according to the City of Salem.
