An Oregon school shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend on Thursday, 15 October 2026, killed three children and a teacher, and police say the 16-year-old shooter also died.
According to Al Jazeera, the first emergency call came at 12:59 PDT (21:59 SAST) from a person in a vehicle who said they had been shot at several times. The school went into lockdown at 13:01 PDT (22:01 SAST), and dozens more calls followed within minutes.
What happened in the Oregon school shooting?
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told a news conference that the shooter forced their way into the school. Investigators are still working out whether the shooter attended it.
Police have not named the shooter, a 16-year-old Bend resident, or the community member who intervened. Krantz said:
“Moments later, an officer reported that a 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.”
Krantz added that officers then entered the building: “Our officers entered the building and confirmed the suspect was dead.” Police cleared the school, gave emergency aid to victims and moved students and staff by bus to a nearby church, where families were reunited with them.
Who was hurt in the Oregon school shooting?
The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to St Charles Medical Centre in Bend in a critical condition.
Police have not named the victims, and Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said of the community’s loss:
“We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy.”
How have officials responded to the Oregon school shooting?
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said “All Oregonians mourn this loss today. This is a horrible day.” She also spoke directly to the community member who stepped in, saying: “your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media that the FBI is helping local police: “We will make every resource they need available.” Bend Police Department communications manager Sheila Miller said of the shooting:
“This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend.”
The Gun Violence Archive has recorded 369 mass shootings in the United States in 2026, which it defines as incidents in which four or more people are shot, excluding the suspect.
Everytown for Gun Safety has counted at least 100 incidents of gunfire on school grounds this year, which have left 34 people dead.
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