A 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher before he was shot by a person at the scene who pursued him into the school, authorities said.
The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to a hospital in critical condition, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said at a news conference Thursday night.
The suspect, identified as a Bend resident, forced his way into the school by shooting at locked doors with a long gun, police said. Authorities found the suspect dead inside the school minutes after the shooting was first reported, Krantz said.
Minutes before, law enforcement received a first dispatch call at 12:59 p.m. from a person in a vehicle “who reported being shot at multiple times by a person with a long gun.”
In the following minutes, dispatch received “dozens” of 911 calls reporting that a shooter had entered the school.
Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said at the news conference, “Today is an awful day for our community.”
“Our hearts are broken as we mourn this tragedy and the profound impact it has had on so many people, especially the children, families, educators, and school staff whose lives have been forever changed,” she said at this evening’s news conference. “A school should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure.”
She called for the community to lean on one another.
“We are here for you. We grieve alongside you, and we will get through this together,” she said.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said her heart was “absolutely broken” at the news conference and thanked the civilian who pursued the shooter.
“To the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life: Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” she said.
Chief Krantz said the investigation into the shooting will take time.
“We will have a large police presence at Silver Rail Elementary School for the next several days, as our officers continue to conduct a very thorough investigation, so we get all the answers,” he said.
The school in Bend, which is more than 100 miles southeast of Portland, had 459 enrolled students as of last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education. The school serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
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