A 16-year-old boy broke through a locked door into a Bend, Oregon, elementary school on Thursday and killed three children and a teacher. He was then shot by a person who followed him into the scene, authorities said.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the suspect was found dead inside the school minutes after the shooting was first reported.
He said the three children killed were 5, 8 and 11 years old. Another 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were injured and taken to hospital in critical condition.
Krantz told reporters that the first 911 call came in around 1 p.m. from a person in a car outside Silver Rail Elementary School who reported he had been shot by someone with a long gun. Another 911 call came in from inside the school, and police were on scene within minutes, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.
She said the attacker, whom police identified as a Bend resident, was shot and fell inside the school shortly after police arrived.
Police said they did not know if the shooter knew anyone at the school or if he attended the school.
The children were bussed to a nearby church, which serves as a family reunion center. Parents hugged, kissed and held their children’s hands as they walked to their cars, some bringing favorite stuffed animals or other comfort items from home.
The school, located in Bend, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of Portland, had 459 enrolled students as of last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education. The school serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
This high desert city has seen a population surge over the past three decades and is a hub for tourism and outdoor recreation near Bachelor Mountain.
All 32 schools in the Bend-La Pine District canceled classes, sports and extracurricular activities Friday.
The shooting was the 28th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.
The attacker used a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the findings publicly.
At a news conference, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said her heart was “completely broken” and thanked the civilians who pursued the shooter.
“To the members of the community who heroically stepped in to prevent further loss of life: your actions carry a heavy emotional weight, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you,” she said.
Associated Press reporter Hannah Schoenbaum contributed reporting.
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