Oregon: Three children and a teacher were shot at a primary school in the US state of Oregon, with a 16-year-old suspect also killed during the incident, according to police.
The shooting took place at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, where a community member confronted and fatally shot the attacker. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that the teenager forced his way into the school by firing at locked doors.
Police identified the suspect as a local 16-year-old boy but have not released his name or provided further details about his possible connection to the school. The three children who died were aged five, eight and 11. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also taken to hospital in critical condition, Krantz remarked. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the victims.
Police received the first report of an active shooter at 12:59 p.m. local time. According to Bend Police Department spokeswoman Sheila Miller, the initial caller reported that an unknown individual was firing a long gun at their vehicle. Photographs from the scene showed a red truck with bullet holes.
Minutes later, emergency dispatchers received 911 calls reporting that the suspect had entered the school. Investigators highlighted that the teenager fired at the locks on the doors to gain access to the building. A community member witnessed the shooting and pursued the suspect into the school before confronting and fatally shooting him, police noted.
Officers arrived approximately three minutes later, confirmed that the attacker was dead and began searching the school. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and police have not released further information about the investigation.
The incident has left the local community in shock. Steven Cook, the senior administrative official of the local school district, described the shooting as a senseless tragedy and expressed condolences to the affected families.
Steven Cook stated that, “We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy.” Schools across Bend were closed on October 16 to allow students, families and staff time to grieve and begin healing. Silver Rail Elementary School has approximately 450 students and more than 40 adult staff members, according to police.
The shooting adds to the continuing concerns over gun violence in American schools. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, the United States recorded 235 shooting incidents at schools in the previous year, with at least 140 reported so far this year.
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