Three Children and One Adult Killed in Shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon

The Bend Oregon school shooting unfolded on Thursday afternoon at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, where a teenage gunman entered the school and opened fire shortly after 1 p.m. local time, killing three children and one adult, law enforcement sources told US media.

FAKTA

• What: A shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, October 15.
• Killed: Three children and one adult, according to law enforcement sources cited by CNN and CBS News. The death toll is preliminary and could increase.
• The shooter: A 16-year-old male who was already dead inside the school when police arrived. Police have not confirmed who shot him, saying it “may have been a bystander”.
• Injured: At least two more victims were transported to hospital; their conditions were not immediately known.
• Response: Officers were on campus within minutes, the FBI is assisting in the investigation, and the school will remain closed on Friday.

What happened in the Bend Oregon school shooting

Police in Bend received the first call at 12:59 p.m., reporting that an unknown man had shot into a car near the school, according to Sheila Miller, communications manager for the Bend Police Department. Within two minutes, dispatch was flooded with 911 calls reporting that a person had entered Silver Rail Elementary School and started shooting.

A tone alert went out to all officers to respond to a critical incident, and officers arrived on campus by about 1:02 p.m. — within minutes of the first call. By the time they entered the school, the gunman was already down.

“We don’t have confirmation yet who shot the suspect, it may have been a bystander,” Miller told reporters. She said investigators had not yet confirmed the shooter’s identity.

The victims and the shooter

CNN and CBS News, citing law enforcement sources, reported that three children and one adult were killed in the attack. Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the death toll was preliminary and could increase.

The suspected shooter was a 16-year-old male, according to multiple law enforcement sources cited by CBS News and CNN. USA Today, citing a law enforcement source, reported that the teenager used a shotgun and was killed by a bystander who was legally carrying a concealed weapon and followed the shooter into the school. Police have not confirmed these details.

At least two more people were taken to hospital by medics, police said. A law enforcement source told USA Today that another child and another adult were receiving life-saving measures and their conditions were touch-and-go. Police said they did not know the victims’ conditions.

Police and FBI respond

Hundreds of first responders rushed to the school, and local news video showed a heavy police and paramedic presence around the campus. The school was placed on lockdown, and students were later escorted by bus to a family reunification point at Journey Church, where families were reunited with their children.

The FBI is on the scene and assisting local authorities in the investigation. FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency would make every resource available to local law enforcement.

“We know what a very difficult time this is for our community — we are thinking of the families and friends of Silver Rail Elementary and everyone in Bend and beyond who are affected by this terrible tragedy,” the Bend Police Department said.

A community in shock

Bend is a city of about 100,000 people in central Oregon, roughly 175 miles southeast of Portland. Silver Rail Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade, children roughly ages 5 to 11, with about 450 students and 40 staff members.

“We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy,” said Steven Cook, superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools. “We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing. Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders.”

School officials said Silver Rail Elementary will remain closed on Friday. According to CNN’s analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week and Everytown for Gun Safety, the shooting marks the 36th shooting on K-12 school grounds in the United States this year.

Read more world news on Watan News International.