BEND, Ore. — A 16-year-old gunman forced his way into an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, killing three children and a teacher before a bystander followed him inside and shot him dead, police said.
The attack at Silver Rail Elementary School began shortly before 1 p.m., Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said at an evening news conference. The teenager, armed with a long gun, fired at the school’s locked doors to force his way inside.
The shooter was a Bend resident, Krantz said. Police did not release his name, did not say whether he had any connection to the school, and offered no motive for the attack.
Three children dead, two more in critical condition
The three children killed were ages 5, 8 and 11, Krantz said. The teacher who was killed was 54. A 7-year-old child and another 54-year-old teacher were taken to a hospital in critical condition.
The first 911 calls came from outside the school. A person in a vehicle reported that someone with a long gun had shot at their car, police said. A community member who saw the teenager entering the school pursued him inside and engaged him in gunfire, Krantz said. Officers arrived within minutes and found the gunman dead.
The Associated Press reported, citing a law enforcement official not authorized to speak publicly, that the shooter used a pump-action shotgun that had been purchased by his mother.
Investigation underway
The FBI is assisting in the investigation, CNN reported. It remains unclear how far the shooter made it into the building or how many rounds he fired, Krantz said, citing the ongoing investigation.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said her heart was “absolutely broken today, and our hearts will stay broken in the days and weeks ahead.” She praised the bystander who confronted the gunman, saying the community member “heroically intervened to stop further loss of life.”
Thousands attended a vigil Thursday evening, USA Today reported, and the Bend-La Pine school district canceled all classes and extracurricular events for Friday, Oct. 16.
This is a developing story.
Sources: CNN; The Associated Press; USA Today; The Times.
