Three children and a teacher killed in Oregon school shooting; suspect shot by bystander

A shooting incident occurred at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, resulting in the deaths of three children and a teacher. A 16-year-old suspect forced his way into the school by shooting at locked doors, according to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz. The suspect was shot dead by a bystander who pursued him into the school. Police arrived three minutes later. The deceased children were aged five, eight, and eleven, while a seven-year-old and a 54-year-old teacher were hospitalized in critical condition. The identity of the suspect and the victims has not been released. Police received reports of an active shooter at 12:59 local time. The first call indicated that the suspect was shooting at a vehicle with a long gun. Local media reported that the school had received new classroom doors in 2022 that could be locked with a switch. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek commended the bystander for intervening to prevent further casualties. Schools in Bend were closed on Friday to allow the community time to heal. Silver Rail Elementary School has around 450 students and over 40 staff members. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were 235 shooting incidents at American schools last year and at least 140 incidents so far this year. Gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety ranks Oregon 12th in the strength of its gun laws, with a gun violence rate near the national average at 14.2 deaths per 100,000 residents.