A 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend before a community member followed him inside and fatally shot him.
A 16-year-old gunman opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three young children and a teacher before a community member followed him into the school and shot him dead.
The children killed were ages 5, 8 and 11. A 54-year-old teacher was also killed, while a 7-year-old child and another teacher were critically injured, according to authorities.
Police say the teenage shooter forced his way through a locked entrance by firing through the doors. He then moved through the school with a pump-action shotgun as teachers and students tried to shelter.
A community member who saw the gunman enter the building followed him inside and confronted him before police arrived. Authorities say that person fatally shot the attacker, ending the shooting.
Investigators have not publicly identified a motive. Police are also still working to determine whether the teenager had any personal connection to Silver Rail Elementary or to anyone inside the school.
The shotgun used in the attack had been legally purchased by the shooter’s mother, according to law-enforcement officials. Authorities are examining how the teenager gained access to it and whether any warning signs preceded the attack.
The first emergency call came shortly before 1 p.m., and numerous 911 calls followed. Bend police and other agencies flooded the area while families were directed to a nearby church for reunification.
The Bend-La Pine school district canceled classes, sports and other activities as the community began mourning the victims. Vigils formed Thursday night and Friday as families, teachers and neighbors gathered across Bend.
Officials have praised the community member who intervened, saying the actions likely prevented additional deaths. Authorities have not announced any charge against that person and have described the intervention as stopping the shooter.
Gov. Tina Kotek called the deaths devastating and said the state would support the community and investigators. Federal officials have also been briefed as law enforcement works to reconstruct the attack.
This is not a story that needs a clever angle. Three children went to elementary school and did not come home, and a teacher was killed in the same building where families expected their children to be safe.
The unanswered questions now involve motive, weapon access and whether anything could have interrupted the path that led a 16-year-old to a locked elementary-school entrance with a shotgun.
Those answers will matter later. For families in Bend, the immediate reality is much simpler and much worse.
Four people were killed in a place built for children to learn.
