Three children aged 5, 8, and 11 and a teacher died Thursday when a 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, before a bystander shot and killed the teenager.
Armed Teenager Breaches Doors Before Bystander Intervention
Photographs from the scene revealed a red truck pocked with bullet holes after an unknown assailant shot into a motorist’s vehicle with a long gun outside Silver Rail Elementary School at 12:59 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to Bend Police Department spokeswoman Sheila Miller. Earlier that day, an advisory was posted on the Bend Police Department’s X profile warning citizens to stay away from the educational facility situated at 61530 Southeast Stone Creek Lane due to a heavy law enforcement deployment.
The county dispatch center logged 911 calls reporting that the armed teenager had forced entry into the building by shooting at locks on the doors shot at locks on the doors. A local resident followed the juvenile inside the facility and “engaged him,” ultimately killing the suspect with gunfire, according to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz. Officers arrived three minutes later at 1:02 p.m., confirmed the attacker was dead, and secured the facility.
Reunification for families was established at Journey Church located at 61303 S. Highway 97 near Goodwill and Dairy Queen.
Two Critical Patients Join Four Fatalities at Silver Rail
The violence left four people dead at the school, which serves approximately 450 children in kindergarten through fifth grade alongside more than 40 adult staff members.
| Victim Status | Age / Role | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Fatality | 5-year-old child | Deceased |
| Fatality | 8-year-old child | Deceased |
| Fatality | 11-year-old child | Deceased |
| Fatality | Teacher (identity withheld) | Deceased |
| Critical Injury | 7-year-old child | Hospitalized |
| Critical Injury | 54-year-old teacher | Hospitalized |
Chief Mike Krantz confirmed that a seven-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher suffered critical injuries
and were transported to local hospitals. Local media reports indicate that the school received upgraded doors in 2022 featuring flip-switch classroom locks.
Elected Officials and Law Enforcement Respond in Bend
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek posted via X that she was keeping a close eye on developments, and added on Facebook that we must come together and support each other, neighbour to neighbour, Oregonian to Oregonian following the tragic event. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that federal agents deployed to the scene to assist local investigators and offer full agency resources.
We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy.
Steven Cook, Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent
Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler addressed the community during a joint briefing, stating that a school should be a safe place … what happened today should never happen
before announcing a community vigil for Thursday evening. School district officials cancelled all classes, activities, and athletic events across the area for Friday.
Police identified the shooter as a local 16-year-old boy. Authorities have not released the names of the victims, the teenage suspect, or the bystander who intervened, nor have they clarified whether the teenager had any prior affiliation with the school.
Parents of students at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon are waiting to reunite with their children after a shooter killed at least three kids and one adult on Thursday afternoon. A bystander killed the shooting suspect, a 16-year-old, law enforcement sources said.… pic.twitter.com/yS5cqVnE76
More on Silver Rail Elementary School
Authorities in Bend, Oregon say a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School has left behind multiple victims, including children. A shooter was shot and killed, police say.At least two people were taken to a local hospital for treatment, but information on their conditions and… pic.twitter.com/uQtolmDAno
