BEND, Oregon — Three children and a teacher have been killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, after a 16-year-old gunman opened fire on Thursday, police said.
The suspect was later found dead after an armed community member confronted and fatally shot him, according to authorities.
The children killed in the attack were aged five, eight and 11. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were critically injured and taken to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend for treatment.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the suspect forced his way into the school by firing at locked doors with a long gun.
Authorities received the first emergency call at about 12:59 p.m. local time after a person reported that someone had fired at a vehicle outside the school. Within a minute, additional callers reported gunfire inside the building.
Police officers arrived at approximately 1:02 p.m. and were informed shortly afterwards that the suspect had been shot.
According to Krantz, a community member witnessed the teenager entering the school and pursued him inside before confronting him. The suspect was subsequently found dead at the scene.
Police have not released the identities of the suspect or the community member who intervened. Investigators are working to establish whether the teenager had any connection to the school and what may have motivated the attack.
The shooting prompted an immediate lockdown, with officers securing the premises while emergency responders attended to the injured.
Students were later transported by bus to a nearby church, where they were reunited with their parents and guardians.
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said the shooting had left the school community in shock.
In a statement, Cook said the district’s immediate priorities were supporting students and staff, assisting affected families, and cooperating with law enforcement and emergency responders.
All schools in the Bend-La Pine district were scheduled to close on Friday, with classes, activities and athletic events cancelled.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek joined local officials in responding to the tragedy and expressed sympathy for the families of those killed.
She also praised school staff, emergency responders and the community member who confronted the gunman, acknowledging the emotional burden that such an intervention could carry.
Silver Rail Elementary School serves approximately 450 pupils from kindergarten through fifth grade. It is located in Bend, a city of about 100,000 people in central Oregon.
Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the suspect’s background, his possible connection to the school and the events leading up to the attack.
Police said further information would be released as the investigation progresses.
