16-year-old kills three children and a teacher at primary school in Oregon

A 16-year-old boy killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, in the United States. A bystander who followed the attacker into the building shot him dead. Police have not given a motive or further details, as the investigation continues.

How the attack unfolded

Bend Police Department spokeswoman Sheila Miller told reporters that emergency services were called to the school at 12:59 local time. The first call came from a person who said an unknown suspect was firing into their car with a long gun. Photos from the scene show a red truck with bullet holes.

Minutes later, the local county dispatch received several 911 calls saying the attacker had entered the school. Police say he shot at the door locks to force his way in. A bystander who saw the shooting begin went after him into the school and shot him. Officers arrived three minutes later, confirmed the attacker was dead and searched the building.

Victims and aftermath

The children who died were aged 5, 8 and 11. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to hospital with critical injuries. Police have not released the names of the victims, the attacker or the bystander.

Around 450 children attend Silver Rail Elementary, which has more than 40 adult staff. Local media reports say the school received new doors in 2022 that can lock classrooms with a flip of a switch. All schools in Bend were closed on Friday so the community could have time to heal. Steven Cook, the top administrative official of the local school district, said the community was stunned and heartbroken.

According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were 235 shooting incidents at American schools last year and at least 140 so far this year, including this one.