School shooting at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon: gunman dead, children injured
A shooter entered Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon on Thursday, injuring multiple people including children. The gunman is dead, possibly shot by a bystander.
Gunman killed after opening fire at Bend elementary school, multiple victims including children
An active shooter entered Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon on Thursday afternoon, injuring multiple people — among them children — before being shot dead, rv-times.com reports. At least two individuals were transported to St. Charles Bend hospital. No additional fatalities have been confirmed.
Bend Police spokesperson Sheila Miller said officers first received reports of a shot fired into a vehicle at 12:59 p.m. The gunman then entered the school building and began firing. Officers arrived on scene at 1:02 p.m. Moments later, the shooter was killed — possibly by a bystander, Miller said.
Law enforcement subsequently began evacuating classrooms one by one. Silver Rail Elementary has approximately 450 students enrolled.
Three nearby schools — Pine Ridge Elementary, R.E. Jewell Elementary and Caldera High — were placed in precautionary lockdown, which has since been lifted.
Parents gather, students bused to church
Hundreds of parents and community members converged near the school in the immediate aftermath, watching their phones for updates. Brenda Skelton, a grandmother searching for her two grandsons, said she was barred from entering the school grounds.
"I just got a call saying the school has an active shooter and we can't go in," Skelton said. "I'm feeling very nervous and very scared. I wish they would give out more information because we're kind of in the blind right now."
Christy May, whose children attend kindergarten and fourth grade at the school, said students were relaying information from inside through their smartwatches. While waiting for news, she said she tried to comfort children whose parents had not yet arrived.
"I've been trying to give hugs to some of the other kindergartners whose parents aren't here," May said. "I saw the principal and just kind of rubbed her back."
Students were later transported by bus to Journey Church for reunification with their families. The church auditorium was packed, with additional families waiting in the lobby. Volunteers distributed water, fruit and snacks to those gathered. Many attendees were crying or visibly distressed, according to reporters on the scene.
School board member and superintendent respond
Bend-La Pine school board member Marcus LeGrand, present at Journey Church, said the immediate priority was reuniting children with their families. Mental health and counselling services for affected families would follow, he said.
Superintendent Steven Cook issued a statement through the police department: "We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy. 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. Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders."
The school day and all activities, including athletics, were cancelled for Friday.
Local officials express shock
Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang said he was horrified by the news. "As a parent, it is horrible to think about our children being vulnerable to situations like this," Chang said.
Bend City Councilor Ariel Mendez, who confirmed a press conference at Bend City Hall at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, expressed similar anguish. "This is one of the worst nightmares… I hate that it's happened," Mendez said.
The public was asked to avoid the school and Journey Church while reunification and law enforcement operations remained ongoing.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)