Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker
Bend, Oregon: Authorities believe at least five people are dead following a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon.
That’s according to two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss it publicly. Both officials said the death toll was preliminary and could change.
CNN and CBS News reported that one adult and three children had been killed, also citing law enforcement sources.
Bend police spokesperson Sheila Miller earlier confirmed the suspect was dead. It wasn’t clear if the suspect was included among the five. CNN reported that the shooter was a 16-year-old male, citing law enforcement sources.
Miller also confirmed multiple victims were children.
“We don’t have a number at this point. We know children are among the victims,” Miller said during a media briefing.
Authorities received a call about a shot fired into a car outside Silver Rail Elementary at 12.59pm on Thursday (Oregon time) and arrived on the scene within minutes. Further 911 calls came from inside the school, she said.
The attacker was shot and went down inside the school soon after police arrived, Miller said. It was not immediately clear if it was by police, a bystander or self-inflicted.
Spokespeople for the city and police department did not immediately return emails seeking comment.
Silver Rail Elementary was under lockdown, the Bend-La Pine school district wrote on Facebook.
“We’re in the process at this time of going room by room and evacuating each of the people who are in that school. ... This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend. It’s devastating,” Miller said, pausing to control her emotions.
The school in Bend, Oregon, which is more than 160 kilometres 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.
More to come
AP, Reuters