Oregon School Shooting | Bend, Oct. 16: A 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, October 15, killing three children and a teacher, authorities said.
The suspected gunman also died after a community member shot him inside the school. Police said the incident left a seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher critically injured. Both were taken to hospital for treatment.
The children killed were aged five, eight and 11. Authorities have not publicly released their identities. The suspected shooter was a 16-year-old resident of Bend, but police have not established whether he knew anyone at the school.
The first emergency call came shortly before 1 pm local time. A person in a vehicle outside the school reported being shot at by someone carrying a long gun.
Oregon School Shooting | Community Member Stops Shooter
Bend police received further emergency calls reporting that a shooter had entered the school. Officers reached the scene within minutes, and the suspect was found dead inside the building.
Police said a community member pursued the attacker after seeing him enter the school and shot him. Authorities have not announced a motive for the attack.
According to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation, the attacker used a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother. The official spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to discuss the investigation publicly.
Silver Rail Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. It had 459 enrolled students as of last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education.
The shooting prompted an emergency response and efforts to reunite students with their families. The Bend-La Pine school district cancelled classes and school activities for Friday.
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Oregon Governor Tina Kotek expressed grief over the deaths and thanked the community member who intervened. She also acknowledged the emotional burden faced by the person who confronted the shooter.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack. Authorities have not yet disclosed a possible motive or confirmed whether the suspect had any connection to the school.
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