Five Dead, Including Three Children, in Shooting at Bend, Oregon Elementary School
BEND, Ore. — A gunman opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, killing three children and a teacher before the suspect was fatally shot inside the building, authorities said.
The shooting began just before 1 p.m. local time, when Bend police received a report of a shot fired into a car parked outside the school. "Within about a minute, we were receiving multiple 911 calls from within the school," department spokesperson Sheila Miller said at a press briefing. Callers reported that someone had walked into the school and begun firing.
Officers arrived within minutes, and the suspect was down within seconds of their arrival, Miller said. It remained unclear who shot the attacker — authorities said it was uncertain whether the suspect was killed by police, a bystander, or himself.
Two law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press that at least five people are believed dead, cautioning that the figure was preliminary and could change. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Police later confirmed that three children — ages 5, 8, and 11 — and a teacher were killed, along with the gunman. CNN reported that the suspected shooter was a 16-year-old boy; AP's sources placed his age at 15 or 16. Police did not release the suspect's name on Thursday.
At least two victims were transported to a local hospital — a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher — and their conditions were not immediately known. Miller said multiple people were wounded, including children.
Silver Rail Elementary, which serves kindergarten through fifth grade with about 462 students, was placed on lockdown as police and firefighters cleared the campus room by room. A reunification site for families was set up at a nearby church.
"We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy," Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said in a statement, extending condolences to the families. Sen. Ron Wyden also said his heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones.
The investigation was continuing Thursday night.
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