Washington (TDI): Four people, including three children, were killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday after a 16-year-old gunman opened fire inside the school before being shot dead by an armed community member, police said.
The victims were children aged five, eight and 11, along with a teacher. A seven-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were also taken to hospital with critical injuries, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told a news conference.
According to police, the shooter forced entry into the school by firing through locked doors. Krantz said an armed community member witnessed the suspect entering the building and pursued him inside, intervening to prevent further loss of life.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, who attended the briefing, praised the individual for intervening. “No parent should have to have this kind of day, and no community should have to live through this kind of day,” Kotek said, expressing sympathy for the victims, their families and the wider community.
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Krantz did not identify the community member or provide further details about the suspect. Authorities received an emergency call at 12:59 p.m. local time from a person in a vehicle who reported being shot at multiple times by someone carrying a long gun, Krantz said.
Within minutes, police received dozens of additional calls reporting that a shooter had entered the school. Officers immediately directed the school to go into lockdown.
Police arrived at the scene at approximately 1:02 p.m., and an officer soon reported that the suspect had been shot. Officers subsequently entered the building and confirmed the suspect was dead, according to Krantz.
The police chief said every Bend police officer had completed a full day of active-shooter training in August. “Unfortunately, this is something we train for regularly, and we must,” he said, adding that the investigation would be lengthy.
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Silver Rail Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade, covering children roughly five to 11 years old. Officials said the school has approximately 450 students and 40 staff members.
Bend, a city of around 100,000 residents in central Oregon, lies approximately 175 miles (280 kilometres) southeast of Portland.
