A 16-year-old attacker also died after a community member confronted him inside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend.
BEND, Ore. — Three children and a teacher were killed Thursday in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, while another child and teacher were critically injured before a community member confronted and fatally shot the 16-year-old attacker, authorities said.
The Oct. 15 attack unfolded rapidly shortly before 1 p.m. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the first 911 call came at 12:59 p.m. from a person in a vehicle outside the school who reported being fired on by someone carrying a long gun. Dispatchers received additional calls within the next minute reporting that the person had entered the school and was shooting. Officers reached the campus at about 1:02 p.m. and learned within seconds that the suspected shooter had been shot.
Police said the children who died were 5, 8 and 11 years old. A teacher was also killed. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to St. Charles Bend in critical condition. Authorities had not publicly identified the children, the teachers or the teenage attacker in the latest official accounts reviewed Friday morning.
Krantz said the suspected shooter was a 16-year-old Bend resident. Investigators had not determined whether he had a connection to Silver Rail Elementary School or knew anyone there. Police also had not announced a motive. Authorities said he forced his way through locked doors before entering the building. Police have not released a detailed account of every movement inside the school or identified where each victim was found.
A community member who saw the teenager enter the school followed him inside and confronted him, police said. The teenager was fatally shot before responding officers reached him. Authorities have not publicly identified the person who intervened. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised the intervention during a news conference Thursday evening, while investigators continued examining the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
After the attacker was found dead, law enforcement officers continued moving through the school room by room to secure the campus and evacuate students and staff. Families were directed to a reunification center at Journey Church. Silver Rail Elementary serves hundreds of children in kindergarten through fifth grade, making the shooting a major emergency response involving local police, fire and medical personnel as well as state and federal agencies.
The FBI was assisting Bend police with the investigation. Detectives were working to determine the teenager’s movements before the attack, his possible relationship to the school and what may have led to the violence. Authorities have not released evidence establishing a motive and have asked that unverified claims about the attacker or victims not be treated as fact while the investigation continues.
Bend-La Pine Schools canceled classes, athletic events and other activities across the district for Friday. Superintendent Steven Cook said district officials were focused on supporting students, employees and families affected by the shooting while cooperating with law enforcement. State agencies also said they were coordinating resources for the Bend community as the response shifted from the immediate emergency to investigation and recovery.
The attack prompted an outpouring of grief across Bend. Hundreds of people gathered Thursday evening at Drake Park for a vigil, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. Officials asked the public to respect the privacy of victims and their families as authorities worked to notify relatives and gather evidence from the school.
Investigators remained focused Friday on establishing why the teenager targeted the school and whether he had any prior relationship to Silver Rail Elementary. The identities of the victims and the attacker had not been released in the latest verified reports, and the two surviving victims remained hospitalized in critical condition in the most recent official account.
Author note: Last updated October 16, 2026.