BEND, Oregon | Four people, including three children and a teacher, were killed when a 16-year-old gunman opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, October 15, before a community member shot and killed him, authorities said. Two other victims, a child and a teacher, were critically injured.
According to a statement from Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s office, the suspected shooter was also killed during the incident. Authorities said the gunman forced his way into the school by shooting through locked doors. A community member followed him inside and intervened, helping stop the attack before more people could be harmed.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the children who died were aged 5, 8 and 11. The injured child was 7, while the injured teacher was 54. Police said the suspect was a resident of Bend, but investigators had not established whether he attended the school or had a personal connection to anyone there. His motive remained unknown.
Police received the first emergency call shortly before 1 p.m. local time after a person outside the school reported being shot at. Additional emergency calls came from inside the building, and officers arrived within minutes. The suspect was found dead inside the school, according to police officials.
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management said state agencies, including the Oregon Department of Education, Oregon Health Authority and Department of Human Services, were coordinating with local partners to support affected families and the community.
The Bend-La Pine Schools district canceled classes, sports and extracurricular activities at all 32 schools on Friday as the community dealt with the aftermath. Students were transported to a nearby church where families could reunite following the evacuation.
Governor Kotek ordered flags at public institutions across Oregon to be lowered to half-staff on October 16 in memory of those killed and in recognition of the survivors. She also praised school staff, parents, first responders and the community member who intervened, while acknowledging the emotional toll of the tragedy.
Silver Rail Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth-grade students in Bend, a city in central Oregon about 200 kilometers southeast of Portland. The school had 459 enrolled students in the previous school year, according to the Oregon Department of Education.
The shooting adds to the continuing concerns over gun violence in American schools. Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the suspect’s background, access to the firearm and possible motive.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
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