BEND, Ore. – Three children and one adult were killed Thursday in a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, according to multiple news organizations citing law enforcement sources. The suspected shooter also died at the school.
The shooting happened at Silver Rail Elementary School in southeast Bend shortly before 1 p.m. on Oct. 15.
Bend police said the first 911 call came in at approximately 12:59 p.m. The caller reported that an unknown person had fired a gun into a vehicle outside the school.
Within the next minute, emergency dispatchers began receiving additional calls reporting that a person had entered the school and was shooting inside.
Bend police officers arrived at approximately 1:02 p.m. Police said that within seconds of their arrival, officers received information that the suspected shooter had been shot inside the school.
Authorities have not yet determined publicly who fired the shot that killed the suspect. Police initially said the shooter may have been stopped by a bystander, but investigators were also looking at other possibilities.
CNN reported, citing law enforcement sources, that the suspected shooter was a 16-year-old boy. Bend police had not publicly released the suspect’s name as of Thursday afternoon.
Multiple news organizations reported that three children and one adult were killed in the attack. The suspected shooter was also confirmed dead, bringing the reported number of deaths connected to the incident to five.
The Associated Press separately reported that law enforcement officials believed at least five people had died, although officials cautioned that the number was preliminary. Police had not yet released a final official casualty count or identified the victims.
At least two people were transported to a hospital following the shooting. Their conditions were not immediately released. Bend police confirmed that children were among the victims.
Silver Rail Elementary serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The school had 459 students enrolled during the previous school year, according to Oregon education records.
After the shooting, officers began evacuating the school room by room while checking classrooms and other areas of the building.
Parents and family members were directed to Journey Church on South Highway 97, where officials established a reunification center for students and their families.
Several nearby schools were also placed on lockdown as police responded to the shooting. The lockdowns were part of security measures taken while officers determined whether there was any additional threat in the area.
The FBI joined local and state authorities in the investigation. Investigators were working Thursday to determine what led to the shooting, how the suspect obtained the weapon and whether the attacker had any connection to the elementary school.
Authorities had not publicly announced a possible motive.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said she was monitoring the situation and was receiving updates from authorities. Oregon lawmakers from both parties also issued statements expressing support for the victims, their families and the Bend community.
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook described the shooting as a devastating event for the school district. The district said its immediate focus was supporting students, employees and families while cooperating with investigators.
Bend-La Pine Schools announced that schools in the district would be closed Friday following the shooting.
The shooting happened about an hour before the end of the school day.
Police continued to control the area around Silver Rail Elementary Thursday afternoon while investigators processed the school and surrounding property. Authorities asked members of the public to stay away from the area while the investigation continued.
As of Thursday evening, police had not publicly released the names of the children or adult who were killed. The identity of the suspected teenage shooter had also not been officially released by Bend authorities.
