A teenage gunman who murdered three children and a teacher an an Oregon school shot through a secure area meant to keep children safe from killers like him, before being taken down by a hero bystander rumored to be a student's father.
The as-yet-unidentified 16-year-old was carrying a long gun that he used to shoot the locks out of 'secure vestibules' at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend shortly before 1pm PT Thursday, The Oregonian reported.
Those vestibules see visitors granted access to a locked porch area, whose second electronic door then opens into the school once they have been screened.
But that supposedly secure system was easily overcome on Thursday afternoon when the shooter shot his way into the special education area of the school and killed three children aged five, eight and 11 as well as a teacher. A seven-year-old child and 54-year-old teacher were also rushed to hospital in critical condition.
Fifth-grade teacher Kathy Sheil Smith recalling how she spotted the unidentified gunman approaching the grounds.
Through tears, she described to KPTV on Thursday how he was clutching a long gun. She frantically called the school's main office to alert them to what was happening before shepherding the children to a corner of the room.
She said: 'They were so afraid, the looks on their faces. It was really hard to see, [I] was just trying to calm them down.
'Some kids were praying, some kids were consoling other kids, but doing so quietly because they know you don't make any noise.'
Smith and her students were ultimately rescued from being killed by a good Samaritan who spotted the teenager and followed him into the building, shooting him dead shortly after he began his rampage.
Dispatch audio suggested the hero was the father of a student at the school, with 'It looks like the shooter has been neutralized, possibly shot by a father at the school' picked up by multiple news outlets.
Kathy Sheil Smith told KPTV how she spotted the unidentified gunman approaching the grounds
Two young women are seen attending a vigil for the victims of a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon Thursday night, as two people beside them hug one another
Children are seen attending a vigil for the victims of a shooting at Silver Lake Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday night
As of Friday morning, multiple questions remain unanswered. The identity of the shooter and a possible motive has not been disclosed. It is unclear if he was a former student of the school
The identities of those killed and injured have not been disclosed, nor has the identity of the hero gunman who killed the shooter and likely halted a far worse massacre from unfolding.
One onlooker was sitting in his red Toyota Tacoma idling outside the school when he spotted the teen approaching the Silver Rail building with his gun.
Concerned by what he saw, the driver confronted the teen who returned a series of shots at the vehicle. A second good Samaritan then confronted the shooter inside the school and killed him.
A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press the teen used a pump-action shotgun that was purchased by his mother.
Photos shared online showed the Toyota with three bullet holes lining the bottom of the passenger-side door and another two near the front of the door. Two more bullet holes chipped off the paint on the base of the truck's bed.
The rear passenger-side window was also apparently left completely shattered, with no glass visible.
After opening fire on the truck, the assailant allegedly threw his gun over the school fence and hopped over – prompting the driver to call Deschutes County dispatchers at around 12.59pm.
As Bend police officers then raced to the scene, the gunman shot at the school's locked doors.
It is unclear how far into the building before being killed.
The identities of those killed and injured have not been disclosed, nor has the identity of the hero gunman who killed the shooter
The teenager was holding on to the firearm when a man in a pickup idling outside noticed he was heading towards the school, personnel are seen here working the scene on Thursday
A woman lights a candle during a candlelight vigil at Drake Park for victims of the Silver Rail Elementary School shooting
Families are seen at a reunification center after Thursday's shooting at Silver Lake Elementary School, which saw a 16-year-old gunman kill three young children and a teacher before being shot dead
A woman grieves at a candlelight memorial out front of Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday evening
Floral tributes are seen outside Silver Lake Elementary School in Oregon Thursday evening, after a shooting that killed three young students and a teacher
Cops arrived at the scene by 1.02pm but just moments later they were informed that the lone gunman was shot and killed by an unidentified community member who had followed the teenager into the building.
When officers then entered the building, they were able to confirm that the suspect was dead.
Out of an abundance of caution, the police officers who rushed to the scene went room by room to evacuate the building as they worked to confirm there were no additional threats to the community.
Other police officers clad in bullet-proof vests and carrying assault rifles were seen peering into the vehicles parked at the school's lot, while parents, teachers and children huddled together, embracing and wiping tears from their faces.
Families are seen here leaving a meeting area set up outside the school following the events of Thursday
A motive for the shooting remains unclear, authorities would not confirm whether the suspect knew anybody at the school or if he had attended it when he was younger
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Dr Steven Cook held back tears as he thanked emergency responders and the school's staff for their efforts to protect students during the attack.
'Today, an unthinkable tragedy happened at Silver Rail Elementary School,' he began.
'We are heartbroken. We are horrified. This is the kind of thing you hear about in other places and pray that it never happens here... today it happened to our children, our teachers and our families.'
A vigil for those killed and injured was held in Downtown Bend Thursday. The Central Oregon city of 120,000 people has been voted one of the best places to live in the United States.
It is a popular destination for outdoor pursuits and offers incredible skiing and hikes in the nearby Cascades mountain range, as well as Smith Rock State Park.
The school district has now canceled all classes, activities and athletic events that were scheduled for Friday.