Teenager Kills Three Children, Teacher In Oregon School Shooting

A 16-year-old gunman has killed three children and a teacher in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, in the United States, police said. The suspect was later shot dead by an armed community member who pursued him into the school.
The shooting occurred on Thursday afternoon, October 15, 2026, prompting an emergency response from law enforcement officers after multiple reports of gunfire on and around the school campus.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the three children who died at the scene were aged five, eight and 11. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher sustained critical injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
According to Krantz, police initially received a report from a person who said they had been shot at several times by someone carrying a long gun. Additional emergency calls soon reported that a gunman had entered the school, prompting authorities to mobilise officers across the area.
Police arrived at about 1:02 pm local time, within minutes of the initial calls. Krantz said an officer later reported that a community member had confronted the suspect after seeing him enter the school. Officers subsequently went inside and confirmed that the teenager was dead. Investigators believe the suspect forced his way into the building by shooting at locked doors.
The attack sent parents scrambling for information about their children as the Bend-La Pine School District coordinated the evacuation of pupils. Following a lockdown, students were transported by bus to another location where families could reunite with them. Schools across the district also cancelled classes, activities and sporting events scheduled for Friday.
District Superintendent Steve Cook described the incident as an “unthinkable tragedy”, saying the school community was heartbroken and horrified. Residents later gathered at Drake Park for a candlelight vigil, laying flowers and lighting candles in memory of the victims.
The shooting has renewed concerns about gun violence in the United States, where mass shootings continue to fuel calls for stricter firearm regulations. The Gun Violence Archive reported more than 360 mass shootings in the country so far this year, using a definition that counts incidents in which four or more people are shot. Gun safety advocates and political leaders have again called for action to prevent further attacks.