A 16 year old boy shot his way through locked doors at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, killing three children and a teacher before a member of the community who had followed him inside shot him dead, police said.
The children who died were 5, 8 and 11 years old. A 7 year old student and a 54 year old teacher were taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Police have not released the names of the victims or the shooter. Families of the dead have been notified, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said.
What We Know So Far
The first 911 call came at 12:59 p.m. from a person in a vehicle outside the school who said someone with a long gun was shooting at them. In the minutes that followed, dispatchers fielded dozens of calls saying the shooter had gone inside.
Officers were told to respond at 1 p.m., and the school was ordered into lockdown a minute later. The first officers arrived at 1:02 p.m. and learned the gunman had already been shot by a community member who saw him enter the building, followed him in and confronted him. Police went in, confirmed the shooter was dead and began evacuating the school. Officials have not said how far into the building he got or how many shots were fired.
Students were bused to a nearby church that served as a reunification center. Parents hugged their children and held their hands on the walk to the car, some carrying stuffed animals and other comforts brought from home.
Leah Schwartz, a Bend resident who was walking near the school, told NBC News she heard at least six shots. They were spaced out, which made her and others wonder at first whether someone was doing construction.
Police identified the shooter as a Bend resident. They do not know whether he attended the school or knew anyone there.
The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade. All 32 schools in the Bend-La Pine district, along with sports and activities, are closed Friday.
What Authorities Are Saying
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek told a news conference her heart was “absolutely broken.” She thanked the person who stopped the gunman and noted the emotional burden that person now carries. “As we learn more about the children and the adults,” she said, “we are going to do a lot of crying.”
Krantz said every Bend officer completed a full day of active shooter training in August. “This is going to be a long investigation,” he said. A large police presence will remain at the school for several days, with help from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler called it an “awful day for our community.”
Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a 2011 mass shooting, said she was “heartbroken.” “This cannot continue to be a reality in our country,” she said.
The Weapon
A law enforcement official briefed on the case told the Associated Press the gunman used a pump action shotgun bought by his mother. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. Police have not publicly confirmed the type of weapon or how the teenager got it. A source told NBC News the ATF received the results of an urgent trace on the weapon Thursday evening.
Oregon law requires a person to be 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun, and 21 for a handgun, and bars selling firearms to minors. People under 18 may legally possess firearms with parental consent and for lawful purposes such as hunting or target practice.
Differing Accounts
The sources describe the setting and school differently. The AP placed Bend about 125 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of Portland, while Reuters said 175 miles (280 kilometers). Enrollment is given three ways: 459 students last year, per the Oregon Department of Education, in the AP; about 450 students and 40 staff in Reuters; and more than 400 students and over 40 staff in NBC News.
Accounts of the person who stopped the gunman also vary a little. The AP said a person at the scene who followed him inside, Reuters called him an armed member of the community, and NBC News said a good Samaritan. Police have not identified the person.
Why This Matters
The shooting was the 28th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database kept by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. School shootings have become a recurring feature of American life, from Columbine in 1999 to Sandy Hook in 2012, Parkland in 2018 and Uvalde in 2022, and each one revives the debate over gun laws in a country where gun rights are protected by the Second Amendment. Gun rights advocates have argued for arming teachers as a defense, and gun control groups have called for action at every level of government.
Bend is a city of about 100,000 people in the high desert of central Oregon, next to the Deschutes National Forest. It has grown quickly in recent decades and is a hub for tourism and outdoor recreation near Mount Bachelor.
What Happens Next
Investigators are working on the motive and on how the teenager got the weapon, two questions officials say remain open. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is coordinating state agencies, and Kotek said the state stands ready to support the community. The condition of the two people hurt has not been updated.
Sources: the Associated Press, Reuters and NBC News
