Teen gunman kills three children and teacher at Oregon elementary school
A 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail elementary school in Bend, Oregon, killing three pupils and a teacher before a bystander shot him dead.
Four dead after shooting at Silver Rail elementary school in Bend, Oregon
A 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday before being shot dead by a bystander inside the building, authorities confirmed at an evening news conference, as theguardian.com reports.
The three children who died were aged five, eight and 11. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old adult were hospitalised with critical injuries, according to police.
The gunman, a Bend resident, has not been publicly identified. Officials said they are still investigating whether he had any ties to the school.
At 1.02pm local time, police responded to Silver Rail after receiving multiple reports of an active shooter. One 911 caller described an individual armed with a long gun firing at their vehicle. Dozens of additional callers reported that the shooter had entered the building and was continuing the attack inside. He forced entry by shooting at locked doors, police said.
By the time officers arrived, the suspect had already been shot and killed by a community member who confronted him inside the school. A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press, on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the investigation, that the attacker used a pump-action shotgun.
Oregon governor Tina Kotek described the bystander's intervention as heroic. "Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden," she said Thursday evening.
Silver Rail serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade — roughly ages five to eleven — and has approximately 450 students and 40 staff members. The shooting began about an hour before the school day was due to end.
In the aftermath, children were transported by bus to a nearby church serving as a reunification centre for families. Parents hugged and held their children as they walked to their cars, some carrying stuffed animals or other comfort items from home.
Bend-La Pine Schools superintendent Steven Cook addressed the community directly. "Please hold your children, hold your loved ones tight tonight. Let them talk. Let them cry. Let them know we are going to rally and care for one another in this community," he said. "We will get through this — but not yet. We must grieve for the loss of our community members."
All classes, sports and extracurricular activities were cancelled Friday across all 32 schools in the Bend-La Pine district.
The FBI is assisting local authorities with the investigation, according to agency director Kash Patel.
Bend mayor Melanie Kebler said the shooting had left the city reeling. "A school should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure," she said. "Like so many in our community, I'm struggling to make sense of a loss that feels unimaginable."
The attack shook the city of approximately 100,000 residents, situated on the Deschutes River around 170 miles south-east of Portland.
Gun control advocate and former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who herself survived a mass shooting in 2011, said in a statement she was "heartbroken" by the events. "This cannot continue to be a reality in our country. Leaders at every level must step up and act," Giffords said.
Thursday's attack is the latest in a long series of school shootings across the United States. According to Everytown For Gun Safety, at least 100 incidents of gunfire on school grounds have been recorded across the country so far in 2026, resulting in 33 deaths.
Oregon has enacted several gun safety measures in recent years, among them a law requiring prospective gun owners to pass a criminal background check and complete safety training before receiving a firearm permit.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)