Three children and a teacher killed in Bend, Oregon elementary school shooting
A 16-year-old entered Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, killing three students and a teacher before being shot by a community member; police are investigating the incident.
Three children aged 5, 8 and 11 and a teacher were killed when a 16-year-old entered Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, and opened fire, police said Thursday. The shooter forced his way into the building by firing at locked doors and was confronted by a community member who engaged him in gunfire, killing the teenager before police arrived, according to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz.
Two additional victims, a 7-year-old child and another teacher, were injured and transported to a hospital. Police have not released the shooter’s identity or motive and are working with the FBI on the investigation.
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook expressed sorrow, saying, "We are heartbroken. We are horrified. This is the kind of thing you hear about in other places, and pray that it never happens here."
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised the response of school staff, parents and first responders, noting the "quick thinking and courage" of those involved. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said, "My heart is with the victims of today’s shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School and their loved ones now facing the consequences of another school shooting in America."
The incident marks the 36th K-12 school shooting in the United States this year, according to CNN’s analysis of multiple databases. Silver Rail Elementary is equipped with secure vestibules, visitor screening, security cameras and upgraded classroom lock systems, measures the district implemented in recent years.