3 Children and Teacher Killed in Bend, Oregon Elementary School Shooting
A 16-year-old gunman opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, OR, killing three children and a teacher. A community member shot and killed the teen before police arrived.
Four Dead, Including Three Children, After Teen Opens Fire at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend
Three children — aged 5, 8, and 11 — and one teacher were killed Thursday afternoon when a 16-year-old resident of Bend, Oregon, forced his way into Silver Rail Elementary School and opened fire, police announced at a news conference Thursday evening, keyt.com reports.
The shooter, armed with a long gun, shot at locked doors to gain entry to the building. Bend Police Department Chief Mike Krantz said it remains unclear how far into the building the gunman advanced before he was stopped.
A community member who witnessed the teenager entering the school at around 1 p.m. followed him inside and engaged him in gunfire, killing him before responding officers reached the scene, Krantz said. Police did not identify the shooter at Thursday's news conference, citing the ongoing investigation. Whether the teen had any prior connection to Silver Rail Elementary also remains undetermined.
A 7-year-old child and a second teacher were injured in the attack and transported to a hospital. Officials gave no immediate update on their conditions.
The first 911 call reported an "unknown man had shot into a car," moments before multiple calls to police indicated a person had entered the school and begun shooting, according to police.
FBI responds; school placed on lockdown
Silver Rail Elementary was placed on lockdown immediately after the attack. Bend Police established a reunification point for student families at Journey Middle Church, where school buses later delivered students and staff. Over 400 students are enrolled at the school.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed federal agents were on the scene and assisting local investigators. "We will make every resource they need available," Patel wrote on X.
Sierra Jordan, who works at a business less than half a mile from the school, told CNN the sound of children playing at recess was replaced by a swarm of ambulances, police officers, and other first responders. One of her coworkers, who was walking outside at around 1 p.m., heard the gunshots. Jordan said she had never seen so many police officers in her life. "It's absolutely heartbreaking," she said.
A large crowd of parents and community members gathered outside the school throughout Thursday afternoon, waiting for information.
All Bend-La Pine Schools will be closed Friday, including extracurricular activities and athletic events, the district announced.
School district and state officials respond
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook issued a statement expressing shock at the attack. "We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy," Cook said. "We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing."
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said in a statement: "No community should have to live through this day." Kotek called on residents to support one another, adding: "We must come together and support each other, neighbor to neighbor, Oregonian to Oregonian."
Former Bend Mayor Jeff Eager described the shooting as "unimaginable." Eager told CNN's Pamela Brown that Bend is a city people relocate to from larger urban areas specifically because of its relative safety and walkable schools. He noted Silver Rail Elementary was built in recent years and that the district had invested heavily in security measures.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said his heart was with the victims and their families. "Once again we must ask how many schools must be shot up before Republicans agree to act to curb gun violence," Wyden said in his statement.
36th school shooting of the year
The attack at Silver Rail Elementary is the 36th shooting on K-12 school grounds in the United States this year, according to CNN's analysis drawing on data from the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week, and Everytown for Gun Safety.
Source: NYT US News