Oregon school shooting left three children and one teacher dead at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend on Thursday. A 16-year-old suspect was later killed by an armed bystander who chased him into the building.
Police Chief Mike Krantz said the department first received a call from someone who reported being shot at by a person carrying a long gun. Dozens of emergency calls then confirmed that a shooter had entered the school. Officers reached the scene at 1:02 pm local time, only minutes after the alerts began.
Shortly after arrival, an officer reported that a community member had seen the suspect enter the school, followed him inside and shot him. Officers then entered the building and confirmed the suspect was dead. They immediately provided emergency care to the victims.
The three children who died at the scene were aged five, eight and 11. One teacher was also pronounced dead. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to hospital with critical injuries. The suspect was a resident of Bend.
Investigators said it appeared the shooter forced entry by firing at locked doors. Between 400 and 450 children attend the school, which serves pupils from kindergarten through fifth grade. More than 40 staff members work there.
After a lockdown, students were taken by bus to a separate location so families could reunite with them. School district superintendent Steve Cook described the events as an unthinkable tragedy and said the community was heartbroken and horrified.
Classes, activities and sporting events across the district were cancelled on Friday. The elementary school is located about 170 miles south-east of Portland.
The United States continues to face frequent gun violence. More than 360 mass shootings have already been recorded this year according to the Gun Violence Archive. Gun safety groups and local politicians expressed grief and called for stronger action, while noting that similar tragedies have produced little lasting change in gun laws.
The investigation remains in its early stages as police work to piece together the full sequence of events.
