16-year-old opens fire at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend; three children and teacher killed
A 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary; a bystander shot the attacker and police later confirmed he was dead.
A 16-year-old gunman shot and killed three children and one teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon before being shot dead by a bystander, local authorities said.
Timeline and response
Police said the suspect — whose identity has not been released — forced his way into the school by shooting at locked doors. Bend police chief Mike Krantz said a citizen “followed him inside the school and confronted him,” and that that citizen shot and killed the attacker.
Emergency services responded after multiple 911 callers reported an active shooter at Silver Rail. A police spokesperson said the first call came from someone who reported an unknown suspect firing at their vehicle with a long gun; images from the scene showed a red pickup truck with bullet holes.
Authorities said the shooting began around 12:59 p.m. local time. Officers arrived three minutes after the incident was first reported, confirmed the attacker was dead and then cleared the school. Police said it was not immediately clear whether the attacker had any connection to the school.
The three children killed were 5, 8 and 11 years old. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to hospital in critical condition, police said. Silver Rail serves roughly 450 students and employs more than 40 adults, officials said.
School officials have closed schools across Bend for the day to allow the community time to recover. Police noted the school had received new doors in 2022 that allow classrooms to be locked with a simple switch.
Database records show last year there were 235 incidents involving firearms at K–12 schools in the United States; this year there have been at least 140 such incidents, including this one, according to the K–12 School Shooting Database.
Mayor Melanie Kebler urged the community to come together to mourn and support affected families, staff and students as they begin the recovery process.
Photo: press material from the event
