3 children and a teacher killed in Oregon school shooting; two other people critically injured
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A 16-year-old suspect was killed shortly after police received reports of a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, police said.
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What to know about the shooting
- Four people were killed, including children, in a shooting today at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, authorities said.
- The children were 5, 8 and 11 years old. An adult teacher was also killed.
- The suspect, who police said was a 16-year-old Bend resident armed with a long gun, gained entrance into the school by shooting through locked doors, officials said.
- A good Samaritan shot and killed the 16-year-old, according to authorities, who credited that person with preventing further loss.
- Two other people, a 7-year-old and another teacher, were critically injured.
- Bend is a city about 3 ½ hours southeast of Portland.
What we know about the Bend, Oregon, elementary school shooting
Three young children and a teacher were killed Thursday afternoon in a horrific shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, and a teenage suspect was fatally shot by a good Samaritan who pursued him.
The shooter forced entry into Silver Rail Elementary School by firing through the locked doors around 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET), Bend police said.
Police arrived within three minutes and learned the suspect had been shot and killed.
Many questions remain about the motive and how the shooter gained access to the long gun used in the attack.
Here’s what we know.
Sheriff's office in Oregon county where 2015 school shooting happened offers support
The sheriff's office in an Oregon county where nine people were killed in a community college shooting 11 years ago is offering solidarity and support to the people of Bend.
“Our hearts are with the Bend community this evening,” the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said on social media.
“As an agency and community that have experienced a similar tragedy, we stand in solidarity with the victims and their families, community members, first responders, and all those impacted by today’s incident at Silver Rail Elementary,” the office said.
A 26-year-old man killed nine people at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg in 2015. He killed himself after having been wounded by police.
Sheriff John Hanlin, who was in the office when the Umpqua shooting happened, was headed to Bend to offer any support to law enforcement, the office said.
KTVZ reporter, a Bend native, says it's ‘a very emotionally heavy day’
The local journalists who cover the Bend community every day were not immune from the grief and sadness after today’s deadly shooting of children at an elementary school.
“This has been a very emotionally heavy day for our community,” Claire Elmer, a reporter for NBC affiliate KTVZ who is from Bend, said on the air as people gathered for a community vigil at Drake Park.
Elmer paused for a moment and then said: “As someone who’s grown up here, you certainly never expect it to happen in your community. I know most communities say that.”
“Our thoughts are with those affected, and we are sending love and support to everyone impacted by this terrible tragedy,” she said.
Elmer had earlier been at a unification center where parents were reunited with their children after the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School, which police said was carried out by a 16-year-old who is also dead.
‘There are simply no words,’ Bend mayor says at vigil
Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said the community will have to support one another in what she called a dark day in the city.
Kebler has a daughter that goes to a different elementary school, and she said that many of the people at tonight’s vigil and in the city have children or young relatives.
“There are simply no words for the loss that we have suffered today,” she said.
“I am proud of our community for coming together to support one another, because that is what we are going to need right now,” she said.
People begin gathering for vigil after school shooting
A vigil is being held tonight in Bend following this afternoon’s deadly shooting.
People have begun arriving for the vigil, video from NBC affiliate KTVZ of Bend showed.
The vigil is scheduled to begin around 7 p.m. at Drake Park.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said the person who shot the gunman acted heroically and prevented others from being killed.
“I want to start by thanking and praising the quick thinking and courage of the Silver Rail Elementary School staff and parents, first responders who rushed to the scene this afternoon,” Kotek said at the news conference.
“And to the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life: Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” she said.
Fifth grader waiting to be reunited with parents was 'very scared,' aunt says
The aunt of a fifth grader at Silver Rail Elementary described her nephew as “very scared” in the aftermath of today's shooting.
The student is at the reunification center waiting to be reunited with his parents, aunt Mindy Corely said.
“It’s been taking a long time to get through all the grades. They're going from the youngest to the oldest,” Corley said on NBC News Now.
She said her nephew has a phone and was able to tell his mother he's OK.
“He was clearly very, very scared and wanted to go home,” she said.
Corely said the greater central Oregon community is hurting after today's tragedy.
“This affects all of us,” she said. “We all pull together as an even larger community, not just Bend. All of central Oregon is affected by this.”
Crisis counselors available at city library
“We are heartbroken. We are horrified,” Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steve Cook said at the news conference this evening.
"To the families that have had loss tonight, we are with you, and we will stay with you," he continued. "To our staff who helped our students and protected our kids today, we thank you. You did what no one should ever be asked to do."
He said crisis counselors will be available at the Central Library in Bend for students, families, employees and community members.
'School should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure,' Bend mayor says
Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said, "Today is an awful day for our community."
"Our hearts are broken as we mourn this tragedy and the profound impact it has had on so many people, especially the children, families, educators, and school staff whose lives have been forever changed," she said at this evening's news conference. "A school should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure."
She called for the community to lean on one another.
"We are here for you. We grieve alongside you, and we will get through this together," she said.
ATF agents placed urgent trace on suspect's gun, source says
In the last hour, ATF placed an urgent trace on the firearm that was used, and it already has the results of the trace, according to a source familiar with the investigation and the crime scene.
Police said at a news conference tonight that the suspect was armed with a long gun.
Gunman shot at locked doors to get into the school, police say
The gunman, who was armed with a long gun, forced entry into the school by shooting at locked doors, Police Chief Mike Krantz said.
Bend police had active threat training at a school in August
Bend police officers completed active threat training at a local high school two months ago.
“Unfortunately, this is something we train for on a regular basis, and we must,” Chief Mike Krantz said.
He said the investigation into today's shooting will take time.
“We will have a large police presence at Silver Rail Elementary School for the next several days as our officers continue to conduct a very thorough investigation so we get all the answers," he said.
Suspect was killed by community member, police say
The 16-year-old suspect in the Silver Rail Elementary shooting was followed by a good Samaritan who saw him enter the school.
The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was shot by a “community member who had seen the suspect enter the school and pursued him into the school and engaged him," Police Chief Mike Krantz said at a news conference today.
It's not clear who that community member was.
Minutes before, law enforcement received a first dispatch call at 12:59 p.m. from a person in a vehicle "who reported being shot at multiple times by a person with a long gun."
In the following minutes, dispatch received "dozens" of 911 calls reporting that a shooter had entered the school.
Victims killed were three young children and a teacher
Three children, 5, 8, and 11 years old, were killed in today's shooting, Police Chief Mike Krantz said.
A teacher was also killed, he said.
A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to St. Charles Medical Center with critical injuries, police said.
Shooter identified as 16-year-old resident, police say
The suspect in today's shooting at Silver Rail Elementary was identified as a 16-year-old Bend resident, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said at a news conference.
Police declined to share information on whether the suspect knew anyone at the school or whether the suspect previously attended the school, saying it's under investigation.
ATF agents heading to Bend scene
Special agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the way to the school shooting scene, a spokesperson said.
The agents are coming from both its Portland and Eugene field offices, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson confirms that ATF agents will be focused specifically on tracing the gun or weapons used by the suspect.
Four killed in Silver Rail Elementary shooting, officials say
A sheriff's deputy outside Silver Rail Elementary School. Joe Kline / AP
Four people were killed in today's shooting at Silver Rail Elementary, according to three senior law enforcement officials briefed on the preliminary investigation.
Some of them are children, the officials said. It's unclear what the victims' ages are.
The shooter is also dead, officials have said.
School district cancels classes and activities tomorrow
Classes, activities and athletic events across Bend-La Pine Schools are canceled tomorrow, the district announced.
The district serves more than 16,000 students across 33 schools.
District has school resource officer program
Bend-La Pine Schools, the district Silver Rail Elementary is a part of, has a school resource officer program in partnership with the Bend Police Department and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.
Those school resource officers cover multiple schools in localized areas, according to the district’s social media posts. The district oversees 33 schools.
It's not immediately clear whether a school resource officer was at Silver Rail today. NBC News has asked the district for comment.
Multiple people are dead after today's shooting, law enforcement officials say
Multiple people are dead, including the shooter, according to four senior law enforcement officials briefed on the preliminary investigation.
The ages of the people killed were not immediately known.
Police had said there were multiple victims, including at least two who were taken to a local hospital. Their conditions were not available.
Bend resident recalls hearing multiple gunshots
Leah Schwartz, who lives in the Old Farm District neighborhood in Bend, where Silver Rail Elementary is also located, recalled hearing gunshots this afternoon as she was on a walk with her husband and her dog.
At 12:55 p.m., while they were less than a mile away from the school, she said, they heard three gunshots, one after the other, followed by three more shots.
“They were spaced out, which made us question whether it was gunshots or someone doing construction," Schwartz told NBC News today.
One other person besides shooter is dead, law enforcement officials say
At least one other person aside from the suspect was killed in the Bend shooting, three U.S. law enforcement officials said, based on preliminary information.
It is not known whether the victim was a student or an adult, the officials said.
'No words can adequately express the grief,' Bend-La Pine Schools superintendent says
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said the district is "stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy."
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence," Cook said today. "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," he added.
Police were on the scene within 3 minutes
Bend police officers arrived at Silver Rail Elementary School within three minutes of the first dispatch call, officials said.
Here is a timeline of what police say happened.
12:59 p.m. PT — Dispatch received a first call reporting that an "unknown man" had fired a shot into a car.
1 p.m. — Dispatch received "multiple 911 calls" that a person had gone into the school and started shooting. It sent out an alert ordering officers to respond to a critical scene.
1:02 p.m. — Officers arrived. Seconds later, police learned over the radio that the suspect was down.
Police tape outside Silver Rail Elementary school. Joe Kline / AP
City officials to hold news conference at 5:30 p.m. PT
Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler and other officials will host a news conference on the shooting at 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET).
FBI is at the scene
Agents from the FBI’s Portland bureau are at the scene assisting local authorities in the investigation, FBI Director Kash Patel said on X.
"We will make every resource they need available," he said.
At least one agent was at Silver Rail Elementary this afternoon, and more are on the way.
Federal law enforcement officials say Oregon State Police may become the lead agency in the investigation.
St. Charles Health System: 'Our hearts are with the affected families'
The hospital system where at least two people were transported issued a statement.
“Our hearts are with the affected families, our community and the first responders,” the St. Charles Health System said.
Bend Police spokesperson Sheila Miller. Joe Kline / AP
The status of the people transported to St. Charles Bend is unknown, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.
School district urges locals to avoid the school
Bend La-Pine Schools, the district Silver Rail belongs to, said in a social media post at 1:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. ET) that the school remains on lockdown with police and emergency services at the scene.
Locals are urged to avoid the school area.
Emergency personnel direct traffic at the Journey Church family reunification location following a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School. Rob Kerr / Reuters
Oregon's governor is monitoring situation at Silver Rail
Gov. Tina Kotek said she is "closely monitoring the situation at Silver Rail Elementary."
"I am grateful to the first responders who are on the scene. I will share as I learn more," she said.
Police say there was a lone suspect
There was one suspect in the shooting and that person is dead, Bend police said.
The suspect was inside the school, Bend police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.
Police said they were investigating who shot the suspect. “It may have been a bystander,” Miller said.
The first report of a shooter outside the school “shooting into a car” came into police at 12:59 p.m. (3:59 p.m. ET), Miller said.
About a minute later, police received multiple 911 calls from within the school.
Officers were on scene at 1:02 p.m. and “the shooter was down seconds later,” Miller said.
Miller did not have a total number of victims or their conditions.
Authorities going room by room to clear school
A large law enforcement presence is at the scene of Silver Rail Elementary.
“We’re in the process at this time of evacuating, going room by room, and evacuating each of the people who are in that school,” said Sheila Miller, the communications manager with the Bend Police Department, said.
From there, people in the school will be taken by bus to the reunification center.
Between 400 and 450 children attend Silver Rail Elementary, where there is a staff of more than 40 people.
At least 2 hospitalized in shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School
Parents wait outside Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Ore., on Thursday. KTVZ
At least two people were hospitalized following a shooting this afternoon at an Oregon elementary school. The suspected gunman was killed.
The victims include children, Sheila Miller with the Bend Police Department said. Their conditions are not immediately known.
Police responded to Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend around 1 p.m. after a first call reporting a shot fired into a car. After arriving at the scene, police learned that "the shooter had been shot and killed."
It's not clear who killed the suspect, but it was possibly a bystander, a police spokesperson said.
A reunification center for families of students has been set up at the nearby Journey Church.
Bend is a city about 3 ½ hours southeast of Portland, Oregon.
