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Three children and a teacher are dead in Bend after a 16-year-old with a long gun shot them at Silver Rail Elementary School, police said Thursday. The suspected shooter, who has not been identified, is also dead. Police said a community member shot the alleged assailant after seeing him enter the school.
Another child, age 7, and a teacher are being treated at St. Charles Medical Center Bend. The children who died have not been identified, but police said they were 5, 8 and 11 years old.
According to Bend police, initial calls reported that an unknown man had shot into a car at the school, where more than 400 students are enrolled. Subsequent 911 callers said somebody had entered the school and started shooting.
“Our officers were on scene at approximately 1:02 p.m. Seconds later we received word over the radio that the suspect in this incident was down,” Sheila Miller with the Bend Police Department said at a media briefing.
“I heard what I thought was gunshots,” said Erin Johnson, who was visiting her parents next door to the school. “Then my neighbor began to scream shortly thereafter — her kids go to school there, at Silver Rail. Then I heard the police coming in.”
Johnson was able to confirm that her neighbor’s children are OK, but said she mourned for the community. “It’s heartbreaking. I don’t know any details right now about who was injured. But they’re babies.”
Hundreds of parents and other community members flocked to Bend’s Journey Church, where officials set up a reunification center, as news of the shooting spread.
Bend police said law enforcement officers took hours to clear the school as they moved from classroom to classroom. Officials said they expect a heavy law enforcement presence to remain at the school for the indefinite future.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement that she’s carefully monitoring the situation, and said she’d share more as she learns more. The Republican candidate for governor, state Sen. Christine Drazan, expressed horror at the incident and said she is praying for those affected.
“We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy,” said Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook. “Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders.”
All classes in the Bend-La Pine school district are canceled Friday.
Deschutes County is assembling mental health professionals to support children and the broader community in the aftermath of the shooting, commissioner Phil Chang told OPB by text message. Local clergy have planned a vigil for 7 p.m. Thursday at the city’s Drake Park.
