A community member confronted the 16-year-old attacker after three children and a teacher were killed at Silver Rail Elementary School.
BEND, OR — A 16-year-old gunman who authorities say killed three children and a teacher at an Oregon elementary school was fatally shot by a community member who followed him into the building during the attack Thursday.
The shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend left children ages 5, 8 and 11 dead along with a teacher, according to police. A 7-year-old student and another teacher, age 54, were critically injured and taken to St. Charles Medical Center. Authorities had not publicly identified the victims or the teenage shooter as of the latest updates.
Police said the first emergency call came shortly before 1 p.m. Oct. 15 from someone in a vehicle outside the school who reported being fired upon by a person carrying a long gun. Additional 911 calls soon came from inside the school as the attacker entered the building and opened fire. Authorities said he got through locked doors by shooting at them.
Silver Rail Elementary was placed on lockdown as officers rushed to the campus. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said officers arrived within minutes of the initial emergency calls. By then, authorities said, a person at the scene had followed the shooter into the school and confronted him.
The community member fatally shot the teenager inside the building, police said. Officials did not immediately identify that person or release a detailed account of the confrontation. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised the intervention in a statement, saying the person’s actions helped prevent further loss of life while acknowledging the emotional burden of what had happened.
Police then worked through the school as part of their emergency response and secured the campus. Students, relatives and staff members were directed through a reunification process as authorities accounted for people who had been inside the school. Families gathered while investigators began examining the sequence of events and collecting evidence.
The deaths of three young students and a teacher sent the Bend community into mourning. Bend-La Pine Schools suspended classes, sports and other district activities Friday following the shooting. School officials said their focus was on supporting students, employees and families affected by the violence.
State agencies also joined the response. Kotek said the Oregon Department of Emergency Management was coordinating assistance across multiple agencies and that the state was prepared to support the Bend community. Flags at Oregon public institutions were ordered lowered to half-staff Friday in recognition of those killed and injured.
Several important questions remained unanswered Friday. Police had not announced a motive or said whether the teenager had a connection to Silver Rail Elementary School. Authorities also continued investigating how the shooter obtained the firearm and what happened in the period before he arrived at the campus.
The investigation remained active as local, state and federal authorities reviewed evidence and worked to establish a fuller timeline of the attack. Officials said additional information would be released as it could be confirmed.
Author note: Last updated October 16, 2026.