PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A teen who turned himself in after a murder in the Bush’s Pasture Park area in Salem has admitted to the shooting death of a 16-year-old in March 2024, according to the Marion County DA’s Office.

Nathaniel McCrae Jr. admitted to second-degree murder in juvenile court. He also pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm in Marion County Circuit Court.

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On March 7, 2024, Salem police closed the entrance to the park on Lefelle Street to search the area for more than six hours after “gunfire erupted” in the area of two large groups of teenagers around 1:45 p.m.

When police arrived, they found three teens with gunshot wounds. Despite officers’ efforts, 16-year-old Jose Vasquez-Valenzuela

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