US School Shooting: 16-Year-Old Kills Three Children, Teacher Before Being Shot Dead

A 16-year-old boy suspected of opening fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, United States, has died after an armed community member confronted him inside the school, following an attack that killed three children and a teacher.

The shooting occurred on Thursday, October 15, at Silver Rail Elementary School, where the three children killed were aged five, eight and 11, according to authorities cited by The Associated Press and Oregon Public Broadcasting.

A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also reportedly injured and taken to hospital in critical condition.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the first emergency call was received at about 12:59 p.m. local time from a person in a vehicle outside the school who reported being shot at by someone carrying a long gun.

Further emergency calls followed, reporting that a gunman had entered the school and started shooting.

According to police accounts reported by OPB, the school was placed on lockdown at about 1:01 p.m., while officers arrived at approximately 1:02 p.m.

Police said the suspect forced his way into the building by firing at locked doors.

The suspect was subsequently shot dead after a community member who saw him entering the school followed him inside and confronted him, according to details provided by officials during a news conference.

The identity of the individual who intervened had not been publicly disclosed in the reports reviewed.

Authorities were investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including whether the suspect had any previous connection to the school. Police had not established a motive in the reports reviewed.

The Tribune India, citing an unnamed law enforcement official briefed on the investigation, reported that the suspect used a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother. That detail had not been attributed to a named police official in the material reviewed.

The shooting prompted a major emergency response, with police and other agencies working at the scene to secure the school and evacuate pupils.

The Bend-La Pine Schools district announced that classes would be cancelled on Friday as the community dealt with the aftermath of the attack, according to OPB.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek expressed grief over the deaths and acknowledged the community member who confronted the suspect.

In a statement quoted by The Tribune, Kotek said her heart was “absolutely broken” and offered support to the individual who intervened, noting the emotional burden such an experience could carry.

The attack occurred at a school serving pupils from kindergarten through fifth grade. According to figures from the Oregon Department of Education cited by The Tribune, Silver Rail Elementary School had 459 enrolled pupils as of the previous year.

As investigations continue, authorities have yet to establish publicly what motivated the suspected attacker or whether he had any relationship with the school or its pupils.