Oregon school shooting: At least three children and a teacher at an elementary school in Oregon were shot dead by a 16-year-old gunman before he was shot dead by a bystander, according to police. The preliminary investigation into the Oregon school shooting has revealed that the teen who barged into the school , used his mom’s shotgun to fire at a pickup truck before his deadly rampage, reports The Bend Source. The suspect, who has not been named, forced his way into Silver Rail Elementary School in the city of Bend on Thursday afternoon by shooting at locked doors, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz confirmed.
When the suspect was heading towards the school before 1 pm, then he was spotted by a man driving a red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck in the school’s parking lot. A law enforcement source told news agency AP that the boy was armed with a long gun and the weapon was a pump-action shotgun his mom had bought.
Oregon school shooting: Here's what happened
The rampage began at around 1 p.m. when the teen started shooting at somebody parked in a car using a long gun, prompting the first of many panicked 911 calls, authorities said. When the suspect was shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, it was at the same time when an armed community member chased him inside and shot him dead, authorities told The Post. The twisted teen then barged into the school after firing away at locked doors.
Inside, he continued opening fire, killing three students – ages 5, 8, and 11 – and a teacher, Bend Police Department Chief Mike Krantz said at a Thursday evening press conference. Another child, 7, and a 54-year-old teacher were hospitalized in critical condition, cops said.
Hundreds of first responders rushed to the school minutes after a report of shots being fired, police spokesperson Sheila Miller told reporters. The boy was “shot by a community member who had seen [him] enter the school, pursued him into the school, and engaged him,” police said.
Soon after police arrived, they confirmed the suspect – a Bend resident – was dead and quickly rendered aid to the victims and evacuated the school that has about 400 to 450 students.
ReutersA police officer places flowers at a school sign, following a shooting at the Silver Rail Elementary School, in Bend, Oregon, US, October 15, 2026. REUTERS/David Ryder
Oregon teen opened fired at truck
According to The New York Post, during the Oregon school shooting, the teen allegedly opened fire on the truck after the driver confronted him, shattering its rear window and leaving at least six large bullet holes. He then reportedly threw his weapon over a fence before jumping onto the school grounds, as the driver called emergency dispatchers to report he had been “shot at multiple times by a person with a long gun.”
The shooter allegedly retrieved his weapon and fired several shots at the locks, forcing his way into the elementary school, which serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade. A law enforcement source briefed on the Oregon school shooting said the shotgun had been purchased by the boy’s mother.
What does the Oregon gun law says?
In Oregon, a person must be 18 year old to buy rifles and shotguns and 21 to purchase a handgun. Those under 18 can possess non-handgun weapons if they have parental consent. It’s unclear if the shooter had consent to use his mom’s weapon. Bend La Pines school district previously banned all people, including those with concealed handling licences, from carrying firearms on district property, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported in 2022.
A packed vigil gathered with candles for the victims of the deadly shooting at Drake Park in Bend on Thursday night, KTVZ reported. Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler told the group of mourners: “this is a day that every mayor dreads.”
“This is a dark day. An awful day and a day that will impact so many of us, so, so deeply,” said Kebler, whose daughter attends another elementary school in town. “There are simply no words for the loss that we have suffered today,” she added.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek also offered her condolences at the emotional vigil and assured the Bend community that her “office in the state will be here for whatever you need in the days ahead.” “No parent, no family, no community, should have to have this kind of day,” Kotek said.
Kotek said she visited Silver Rail last year and is “going to remember all the conversations I had with parents when I visited and talked with them over the phone.” “And what I know is that there is joy in this community, and we are hurting right now. And my heart is breaking for all of you,” the governor added. Investigators are continuing to probe a motive in the shooting and expect to provide more updates on Friday.