Three children and a teacher were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday. A 16-year-old suspect also died after a community member pursued him into the school and shot him, according to police.
The shooting occurred on October 15 at Silver Rail Elementary School in the central Oregon city. Two other people, a seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher, were taken to hospital in critical condition.
Police have not established a motive for the attack. They have also not confirmed whether the teenager had any connection to the school.
Civilian Confronts Suspect Inside School
The first emergency call came at 12:59 p.m. local time, according to the Bend Police Department. The caller reported that someone had fired at a vehicle near the school.
Dispatchers received further calls within minutes reporting that an armed person had entered the building. Police Chief Mike Krantz said the suspect forced entry by firing at locked doors.
Officers reached the school at approximately 1:02 p.m. Moments later, police received a report that a community member had followed the suspect inside and shot him.
The suspect was found dead at the scene. Police have not publicly identified the person who intervened.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised the community member’s intervention during a news briefing, while expressing condolences to the victims’ families and the wider community.
Three Children Among the Victims
Police said the children who died were five, eight and 11 years old. A teacher also died in the attack. The two surviving victims, a seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher, were hospitalized in critical condition at St. Charles Medical Center.
Silver Rail Elementary serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade. The shooting prompted a major emergency response, with law enforcement officers securing the building and helping students reunite with their families.
Authorities directed families to a nearby church, which served as a reunification center. The local Bend-La Pine school district canceled classes and activities for Friday as the community began to deal with the aftermath.
Investigation Into the Shooting Continues
Police are working to establish what led to the attack and reconstruct the events inside and outside the school. The suspect was identified as a 16-year-old resident of Bend, but authorities have not publicly confirmed a connection between him and Silver Rail Elementary.
Investigators have not announced a motive. They have also not released the names of the victims or the civilian who shot the suspect.
The investigation remains ongoing as the community mourns the victims and supports the injured. Officials have urged people to rely on verified updates as more information becomes available.
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