Oregon school shooting kills 3 children, teacher; bystander kills gunman

• Three children aged five, eight and 11 and a teacher were killed at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon

• A community member followed the 16-year-old gunman into the school and fatally shot him, police said

• A seven-year-old pupil and another teacher were critically injured; district schools cancelled classes and activities for Friday

A 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday before a community member who followed him inside fatally shot him, police said.

The children killed at Silver Rail Elementary School were aged five, eight and 11. A seven-year-old pupil and another teacher were taken to hospital with critical injuries. Five people, including the attacker, died at the scene, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said.

Armed with a long gun, the teenager shot through locked doors to enter the school. A member of the public witnessed him entering, pursued him into the building and shot him, authorities said.

The first emergency call reached dispatchers at 12.59 p.m., when a person in a vehicle outside the school reported being fired upon. Further calls followed from inside the building, reporting that someone had entered and begun shooting.

A law enforcement alert was issued, and officers arrived at the school at 1:02 pm. Shortly afterwards, police were informed that a community member had shot the attacker. Officers entered the building, confirmed the gunman’s death, assisted the victims and began evacuating the premises.

Police evacuated classrooms one at a time, and a nearby church served as a reunification point for families. The Bend-La Pine school district cancelled Friday’s classes, activities and sporting events across its schools.

Oregon governor Tina Kotek expressed grief over the killings and praised emergency responders, school staff and the civilian who intervened. Silver Rail serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade and had 459 pupils enrolled in the 2024–25 academic year.

With IANS inputs