Oregon School Shooting: Five Dead, Including Three Children, at Bend Elementary School

The shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, left four children and a teacher dead Thursday. The 16-year-old suspect was also killed in the incident, and the total number of deaths went up to five, including the shooter.

The attack triggered a massive police response and an immediate lockdown at the school. The shooter’s connection to the school and what happened to them is under investigation,” federal authorities said.

Two other people, a seven-year-old and a teacher, were critically injured and taken to hospital, the police said.

Three children and a teacher were killed in the shooting.

The four victims of the attack were three children, aged five, eight and 11, and a 54-year-old teacher.

The seven-year-old boy and another teacher were also seriously injured and hospitalized. The police are still investigating the cause of the attack, and will update as more information is available, the police said.

The shooting took place at Silver Rail Elementary School, which serves students from kindergarten to fifth grade. The school had approximately 459 students enrolled, according to previously public data from the education department.

Families, students, and school staff are among those suffering greatly in the community.

What happened at Silver Rail Elementary School?

Police received the first call at 12:59 p.m. local time Thursday, they said. Someone had fired at a vehicle near the school, he said.

Other emergency calls soon followed that someone had entered the school and started shooting.

BREAKING: Mass Shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. 5 people killed, including 3 children, an adult and the suspect. Yes, this is a gun problem. This doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world like it does in America. VOTE! https://t.co/QOhcC2k2HZ

— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) October 15, 2026

According to Bend police, the suspect forced entry through locked doors by firing at them. Within minutes officers arrived and entered the building to respond to the emergency.

The school was on lockdown to secure the premises, locate the suspect and assist injured students, the police said.

Who was the suspect?

Police identified the suspected shooter as a 16-year-old boy from Bend, Oregon. It is not known if he had attended Silver Rail Elementary School or knew anyone at the school.

According to police, the suspect was shot and killed inside the school. The community member who saw the suspect enter the building pursued the suspect and intervened.

Investigators are trying to get to know the shooter’s background and what set in motion the attack,” he said.

The motive of the suspect has not been disclosed yet, Kahl said.

The community member intervened in the attack.

A member of the community followed the suspect into the school and shot him, in the process ending the threat immediately.

Governor Tina Kotek of Oregon appreciated the intervention and offered sympathy for the families affected by the shooting. She also appreciated the emotional burden on the person who intervened.

Police were still investigating the sequence of events, the suspect’s entry into the school, and the situation that followed.

Schools closed after the tragedy.

The Bend-La Pine school district canceled classes, sports, and extracurricular activities at 32 schools for Friday, October 16, after the shooting.

Authorities are working with the school and school officials to support students, staff and families. The immediate focus is to serve those affected and cooperate with the investigation.

The school district serves a larger community in and around Bend, a city in central Oregon located more than 100 miles southeast of Portland.

Law enforcement is still investigating the shooting and trying to put everything together. The suspect’s background, the circumstances of his entry into the building, any ties to the victims or school are also being considered.

School safety and protecting children and staff in educational institutions are now of utmost concern.

Police say more information is going to be released as the investigation continues. The motive and circumstances of the attack are not yet known.