A 16-year-old shot through locked doors at an Oregon elementary school and killed 3 children and a teacher before an armed bystander stopped him

On Thursday, a 16-year-old suspect allegedly forced his way into Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, by “shooting at locked doors,” leading to the tragic deaths of three children and a teacher. The assailant was ultimately killed by an armed bystander who followed him into the building and intervened.

According to the Associated Press, the incident began just before 1:00 PM when a person in a vehicle outside the school called 911 to report being shot at by a suspect carrying a long gun. Dispatchers then received dozens of additional calls stating that the shooter had entered the school. Police said officers arrived within three minutes of the first call.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said in a news conference that the three children killed were aged 5, 8, and 11, per CBS News. A 7-year-old child and a second teacher, 54, were also taken to St. Charles Medical Center in critical condition. Regarding the bystander’s actions, Krantz told reporters, “An officer reported that the suspect had been shot by a community member who had seen the suspect enter the school and pursued him into the school and engaged him.”

Multiple agencies are helping in the investigation

While authorities have not released the names of the victims or the bystander, they did confirm the suspect was a 16-year-old male who lived in Bend. Law enforcement sources told the Associated Press that the attacker utilized a pump-action shotgun. The outlet noted that investigators have not yet established a motive or determined whether the shooter had any prior connection to the elementary school.

Irvin Ornelas, who was driving near the school at the time, claimed he witnessed the suspect moving toward the building. “I saw him throw his gun over and him jump over the fence very quickly,” Ornelas told CBS. He noted that he was thinking about his brother, who attends the school, “the entire time,” and “was thinking the worst during those moments.”

AP News reported that Oregon Governor Tina Kotek thanked the individual who stopped the shooter in a news conference. “To the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life: Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” she said. 

Kotek also added, “All Oregonians mourn this loss today. This is a horrible day. No parent should have to have this kind of day. And no community should have to live through this kind of day.”

Following the attack, students and staff were reportedly evacuated to a nearby church where their families could get them. CBS noted that Bend-La Pine Superintendent Steven Cook stated, “Today an unthinkable tragedy happened at Silver Rail Elementary School. No community should have to do what we are doing right now. I don’t have any words for what this community is feeling right now.”

In response to the tragedy, the Bend-La Pine school district canceled all classes and athletic events for Friday. Federal agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are currently assisting local authorities with the investigation. Hundreds of people gathered at a local park on Thursday night for a vigil to honor those lost in the shooting.