Four killed in shooting at Oregon elementary school, suspect shot dead

A 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, before an armed community member intervened and killed the suspect, police said.

The shooting took place on Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School, where the suspect forced entry by firing through locked doors, according to police.

The children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11, while a teacher was also among the dead, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said at a news conference.

A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were also taken to hospital with critical injuries, Krantz said.

Community member intervenes

Police said an armed member of the community pursued the shooter into the school and engaged the suspect as officers arrived at the scene.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek thanked the individual for intervening, saying the action had helped prevent further loss of life.

Kotek, who appeared alongside police officials at the briefing, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the wider community.

“No parent should have to have this kind of day, and no community should have to live through this kind of day,” she said.

The governor said the state would share in the grief of those affected as more information emerged about the children and adults killed or injured in the attack. Police have identified the suspect as 16 years old but have not provided further details about the individual.

Krantz said the community member, whom he did not identify, saw the suspect enter the school and pursued him.

School shootings have become a recurring feature of American life, including high-profile attacks such as those at Columbine High School in 1999, Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022.

Each shooting revives debates over gun laws in a country where gun rights are protected under the Constitution’s second amendment. Gun rights advocates have argued for arming teachers as a means of defense.

Police trained for mass shooting

Krantz said every Bend police officer went through a full day of active shooter training in August.

“Unfortunately, this is something we train for on a regular basis, and we must,” Krantz said. “This is going to be a long investigation.”

Thursday’s shooting took place in Bend, a city of about 100,000 people in rural central Oregon, 175 miles (280 km) southeast of Portland, in the Oregon high desert adjacent to the Deschutes National Forest.

Silver Rail Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade, roughly ages 5 to 11, and has about 450 students and 40 staff members, officials said.

Gun control advocate Gabrielle Giffords, a former congresswoman who survived a mass shooting in 2011, said in a statement she was “heartbroken” by the shooting in Bend.

“This cannot continue to be a reality in our country. Leaders at every level must step up and act,” Giffords said.

Emergency responders received a call at 12:59 p.m. PDT (1959 GMT) from a person in a vehicle who reported being shot at multiple times by someone with a long gun, Krantz said.

In the minutes afterwards, dozens of calls were received saying the shooter had entered the school, Krantz said. Law enforcement immediately directed the school to go into lockdown, he said.

Officers arrived at 1:02 p.m. and moments later an officer reported the suspect had been shot, Krantz said. Police entered and confirmed the suspect was dead, he said.