Four killed in Oregon elementary school shooting after bystander confronts teenage gunman
The suspect was later shot dead by an armed community member who followed him into the school, according to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz.
By Peter Luzinda
A shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in the US state of Oregon left three children and a teacher dead on Thursday, after a 16-year-old gunman entered the building and opened fire, police said.
The suspect was later shot dead by an armed community member who followed him into the school, according to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz.
The children who died 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.
Police said the suspect forced his way into the school by firing at locked doors with a long gun. Authorities have not released his identity or established a motive for the attack.
The first emergency call came in at about 12:59 p.m. local time, reporting gunfire directed at a vehicle outside the school. Within a minute, additional callers reported an active shooter inside the building.
Officers arrived at about 1:02 p.m. and soon learnt that the suspect had already been shot.
Krantz said a community member had seen the teenager enter the school and pursued him inside before confronting him. The suspect was found dead at the scene.
Police have not publicly identified the bystander, and investigators are yet to establish whether the teenager had any connection to the school.
The shooting prompted an immediate lockdown as police secured the building and 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 incident had left the school community devastated.
In a statement, Cook said the district’s immediate priorities were caring for students and staff, supporting affected families and assisting law enforcement with the investigation.
All schools in the Bend-La Pine district were scheduled to close on Friday, with school activities and athletic events cancelled.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek joined local officials in responding to the tragedy. She praised school staff, first responders and the community member who confronted the gunman, while expressing sympathy for the victims’ families.
Addressing the bystander, Kotek acknowledged the emotional burden associated with intervening in such a violent incident and said her thoughts were with the person involved.
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 establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the suspect’s background, his possible connection to the school and what may have motivated the attack.
Authorities said additional information would be released as the investigation progresses.
