Oregon School Shooting: Three Children, Teacher Killed; 16-Year-Old Gunman Shot Dead

Three children and a teacher were killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, while a 16-year-old gunman was shot dead by a community member who confronted him, police said. Two others, including a child and a teacher, were injured in the attack.

The shooting occurred around 1 pm local time, triggering a major police and emergency response. The circumstances leading up to the attack, the identities of the victims and the motive remained under investigation.

According to the Bend Police Department, the first emergency call reported that an unidentified man had fired shots into a car near the school. Dispatchers subsequently received multiple calls reporting that a person had entered the school and begun shooting.

Police officers arrived within seconds and found the teenager dead from a gunshot wound. Police Chief Mike Krantz said a community member had followed the gunman into the school and engaged him in gunfire, killing him before responding officers arrived, CNN reported.

Children Aged Five, Eight And 11 Among Victims

CNN, citing police officials, reported that the victims included three children aged five, eight and 11, along with a teacher. A seven-year-old child and another teacher were injured and taken to a hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Silver Rail Elementary School caters to children from kindergarten through fifth grade, generally aged five to 11. The school has approximately 450 students and 40 staff members, according to Reuters, citing school district officials.

The school was placed under lockdown following the shooting. Authorities established a reunification centre at a nearby church for students and their families, with school buses carrying students and staff members later arriving at the centre, CNN reported.

The Bend-La Pine Schools district announced that all its schools would remain closed on Friday, including scheduled activities and sporting events.

FBI Assists Investigation As Oregon Leaders React

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it was assisting local authorities with the investigation. FBI Director Kash Patel said federal agents were at the scene and that the agency would make all necessary resources available to investigators.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek expressed grief over the shooting and urged residents to support those affected by the tragedy.

“As we learn more about the tragic event at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend today, we must come together and support each other, neighbour to neighbour, Oregonian to Oregonian,” Kotek said in a statement. “No community should have to live through this day.”

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook also expressed condolences to the victims’ families, describing the incident as a senseless tragedy.

“We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy,” Cook said, adding that the school community was grieving and that no words could adequately convey the pain caused by the violence.

Former Bend Mayor Jeff Eager told CNN that the shooting had left the community shocked, describing the attack as “unimaginable”. He said many people had moved to Bend because of its reputation as a relatively safe place to live and raise children.

US Senator Ron Wyden also expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, renewing calls for action to address gun violence.

(With Reuters Inputs)