A 16-year-old gunman fatally shot three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon before being killed by a bystander, police reported.

The teenager forced his way into the school by firing at locked doors, according to the Bend Police Department. Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that a community member pursued the attacker into the school and fatally shot him. The victims included three children aged five, eight, and 11, and one teacher. A seven-year-old child and another 54-year-old teacher sustained critical injuries and were transported to a hospital.

Emergency services were alerted to the active shooter situation at 12:59 local time following a call from someone reporting an unknown suspect shooting at their car with a long gun. Photos from the scene showed a red truck with bullet holes. Multiple 911 calls followed, indicating the attacker had entered the school. The bystander intervened and engaged the shooter, who was pronounced dead by law enforcement officers who arrived minutes later.

"We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy," said Steven Cook, the top administrative official for the local school district. He added, "No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing." The motive and any potential links between the attacker and the school remain unclear, as police have not released the identities of the victims, the suspect, or the bystander.

Schools across Bend were closed on Friday to allow the community time to process the event. Silver Rail Elementary School serves approximately 450 students and employs over 40 adult staff members. Local reports indicated the school had recently upgraded its doors in 2022, featuring a system that allows classrooms to be locked quickly.

This incident adds to the ongoing concerns about gun violence in American educational institutions. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, the United States experienced 235 school shooting incidents last year, with at least 140 recorded so far this year prior to the Oregon event.

Police have stated that the investigation is ongoing and declined to provide further details regarding the 16-year-old suspect or any other individuals involved.

The community is grappling with the aftermath of the violence, with officials emphasizing the need for collective healing.