Bend, Oregon school shooting kills three children, teacher
Three children aged 5, 8 and 11 and a teacher were killed Thursday at an elementary school in Oregon. The 16-year-old attacker was killed by a bystander who followed him.
A school shooting in Bend, in the US state of Oregon, killed three children and a teacher on Thursday, October 15, shortly before 1 p.m. local time, which was around 10 p.m. in Serbia. Police say the attacker is a 16-year-old from the city, and that he was killed by a bystander who saw him enter Silver Rail Elementary School and followed him in.
How did the school shooting in Bend unfold?
The first call to the Deschutes County dispatch center came in at 12:59 p.m. from a person in a car who said they had been shot at several times with a long gun. In the following minutes there were dozens of calls saying the attacker had entered the school, according to Police Chief Mike Krantz. At 1:00 p.m. all officers were called to a critical incident, and a minute later the school was ordered to lock down. The first officers arrived at 1:02 p.m.
According to police, the attacker got into the building by firing through locked doors. Police did not say how far he got or how many rounds were fired. The school, on SE Stone Creek Lane, serves children from preschool through fifth grade, with more than 400 students and over 40 staff. When officers entered, they found the attacker dead and began the evacuation. Students and staff were taken to Journey Church, where parents picked them up.
The bystander who followed the attacker has not been named. Governor Tina Kotek addressed him at a press conference:
“To the citizen who bravely intervened to prevent further loss of life: your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I want you to know my thoughts are with you.”
Krantz told reporters that police presence around the school will be heightened for several days, and that “this will be a long investigation.”
Who are the victims?
The dead are three children aged 5, 8 and 11, and one teacher. Their names have not been released, and the families have been notified. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend in critical condition.
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Stephen Cook addressed families and employees: “An unthinkable tragedy took place today at Silver Rail Elementary. You did what no one should ever be asked to do. I am grateful to you more than words can express.”
What is known about the attacker and the weapon?
Police said only that the attacker was a 16-year-old Bend resident, without giving his name. No motive was stated, nor whether he attended the school or knew anyone who did. It was also not said how he obtained the long gun. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received urgent weapon-tracing results Thursday evening, and both the ATF and the FBI are assisting the investigation.
Oregon law sets the minimum age at 18 for buying rifles and 21 for handguns, and bans the sale of firearms to minors. Minors may still possess a firearm that is not a handgun with parental consent, and temporarily for permitted purposes such as hunting.
Bend resident Lea Svarc, who was walking near the school at the time, told NBC News she heard at least six shots: “They were spaced apart, so we wondered whether they were gunshots or someone doing construction work.”
How did Bend respond?
Mayor Melanie Kebler called it a “terrible day for our community” and added: “A school should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure.” In a statement she said:
“Our hearts are broken as we grieve this tragedy and the deep impact it has had on so many people, above all the children, families, teachers and school staff whose lives have been changed forever.”
Kebler added that the city will support families in the coming days: “We grieve with you and we will support one another through the difficult days ahead.”
Around 7 p.m., hundreds of people gathered for a prayer vigil in Drake Park. All activities in the district’s schools were canceled for Friday, and crisis counselors will be at the Central Library from 9 a.m. Kotek ordered flags at all state facilities lowered to half-staff starting Friday. Police announced another press conference for Friday afternoon.
In 2022, Silver Rail got new classroom door locks as part of a district safety project: they can be locked from the inside with a switch and stay locked when the door closes.
Second deadliest school shooting in Oregon
This is the first school shooting in Oregon in more than ten years and the second deadliest in the state’s history. The worst took place in 2015 at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, where nine people were killed and the attacker died in a shootout with police.
