A 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon on Thursday afternoon, killing three children aged 5, 8, and 11, along with a teacher. A 7-year-old and a 54-year-old teacher were hospitalized in critical condition.
Police said the suspect forced his way into the school by shooting at locked doors after initially firing into a parked vehicle. A bystander saw the shooting begin, pursued the attacker into the school, and shot him dead. Officers arrived three minutes later. Emergency dispatch audio recordings suggested the bystander was a parent of a student.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz confirmed the sequence of events. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised the bystander who "heroically intervened" to stop further loss of life, saying "Your actions carry a heavy burden and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well."
Police did not name the suspect or release details about his connections to the school. Multiple law enforcement sources told CBS News the suspect used a shotgun, though officials would not confirm the weapon type or number of rounds fired. In Oregon, people under 18 cannot buy firearms, though juveniles may possess them with parental permission for uses such as hunting.
Around 450 children attend Silver Rail Elementary. The school received new classroom doors in 2022 that can be locked with a flip of a switch. A local newspaper reporter told BBC Radio 4 that students were able to communicate with parents outside using Apple watches during the lockdown.
Teacher Kathy Sheil Smith told CNN affiliate KPTV she tried to keep children calm after spotting the gunman. "Some kids were praying, some kids were consoling other kids," she said. "I'm sure that every teacher at the school thought 'Today is the day that I am going to die.'"
Schools in Bend closed Friday to allow the community time to heal. Hundreds attended a candlelit vigil Thursday evening. Steven Cook, the top administrative official of the local school district, said in a statement: "We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing."
According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were 235 shooting incidents at American schools last year and at least 140 so far this year. Oregon ranks 12th out of 50 states in gun law strictness, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.