USAupdated 36m ago2 min read
Shooting Kills Three Children And One Adult At Silver Rail Elementary School In Bend, Oregon
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Four dead, including three children and one adult, at Silver Rail Elementary School, Bend, Oregon. The shooter was a 16-year-old and was killed inside the school.
Silver Rail Elementary Attack
A shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon killed at least three children and one adult, while police said the suspect was also killed.
Bend Police communications manager Sheila Miller said during a news conference that at least two people were taken to St. Charles Medical Center and that "the victims include children".
Police received a call shortly before 1 pm local time about a man shooting into a car, and officers reported that the person entered the school and started shooting about a minute later.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X that "@FBIPortland is on the scene and assisting our local partners in the investigation".
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said, "We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy," as authorities evacuated classrooms and kept a large law enforcement presence at the school and a church used as a reunification area.
Conflicting early death counts
CNN and CBS reports cited by the BBC described the teenage attacker as found dead with a gunshot wound, and Miller said it "may have been a bystander."
El HuffPost said preliminary information from authorities gathered by CNN showed at least four people died, including three minors and an adult, while it also said it had not yet been clarified whether the alleged attacker was included in that death toll.
La Nación reported that AFP indicated five people, including three children, died, and it said police confirmed the shooter is dead while noting it was not clear whether the alleged attacker is included in the number of fatalities.
Sheila Miller told the press, "We do not yet have confirmation about who shot the suspect. It could have been a bystander," as police conducted a room-by-room search and evacuated the school.
The Bend Police Department spokesperson also said officers arrived at 1:02 p.m., and the incident occurred at 1:00 p.m. local time at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon.
Investigation and community response
FBI Director Kash Patel said agency personnel were on the scene and cooperating with local law enforcement, and he posted that the Portland office would make resources available. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also at the scene to assist local authorities, including the Oregon State Police, according to a law enforcement source cited by CBS News. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said she was monitoring the situation and thanked authorities for their swift response, and she posted on X that she would share more information as she obtained it.
Bend police said a large law enforcement presence would remain at Silver Rail Elementary and at a church being used as a reunification area "for the foreseeable future," while classes and activities at all Bend-La Pine Schools were canceled for Friday. Steven Cook said the district’s immediate priorities were caring for students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders, as authorities continued evacuating individual classrooms and setting up family meeting points.