Three children and a teacher were killed at a Bend elementary school before a community member confronted the teenage attacker.
BEND, OR — A 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at an elementary school Thursday before a community member followed him into the building and fatally shot him, authorities said. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were critically injured.
The shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School unfolded shortly before 1 p.m. on Oct. 15, prompting an immediate lockdown and a large response from local and federal law enforcement. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the children who died were ages 5, 8 and 11. Authorities had not publicly identified the victims or the suspected shooter as the investigation continued.
Police said the first 911 call came at about 12:59 p.m. from a person in a vehicle outside the school who reported being shot at by someone carrying a long gun. Within the next minute, dispatchers received several calls reporting that a person had entered the school and was shooting. Police said the attacker fired through locked doors to get inside the building.
Silver Rail Elementary went into lockdown at about 1:01 p.m., and Bend police officers arrived about a minute later, according to authorities. Officers soon learned that the suspected shooter had been shot inside the school. Krantz said a community member had seen the teenager enter the building, followed him inside and engaged him before police reached the gunman.
Officials did not immediately release the community member’s identity or provide a detailed account of the confrontation. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised the person for intervening, saying the action prevented further loss of life while acknowledging the emotional burden associated with the encounter. Police have not announced a motive for the shooting or said whether the teenager had a connection to the school.
The surviving child and teacher were taken to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend in critical condition, authorities said. Law enforcement officers spent hours clearing the campus classroom by classroom after the shooting. Families were directed to a reunification center at Journey Church as officials worked to account for students and staff.
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said the district was stunned and heartbroken by the violence and that its immediate focus was caring for students and employees while assisting investigators. Classes, sports and other district activities were suspended Friday as the community began responding to the deaths and injuries.
State and federal agencies joined the response. Oregon emergency management officials coordinated assistance among state agencies, while federal authorities helped local investigators. Kotek also ordered flags at Oregon public institutions lowered to half-staff Friday in remembrance of those killed and injured at Silver Rail Elementary.
Investigators continued working Friday to determine what led to the attack, how the teenager obtained the firearm and whether he had any prior connection to the school. Authorities had not released the names of the four victims or the suspected shooter as of the latest official updates.
Author note: Last updated October 16, 2026.