Bend (Oregon), Oct 16: A 16-year-old shot his way through locked doors to get into an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher. He was then shot by a person at the scene who followed him inside, authorities said.
The suspect was found dead inside the school minutes after the shooting was first reported, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said.
The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to the hospital in critical condition, he said.
The first 911 call came just before 1 pm from a person in a vehicle outside Silver Rail Elementary who reported being shot at by someone with a long gun, Krantz told reporters. Further 911 calls came from inside the school, and officers arrived on scene within minutes, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.
The attacker, who police identified as a Bend resident, was shot and went down inside the school shortly after officers arrived, she said.
Police said they did not know if the shooter knew anyone at the school or whether he had attended.
Children were taken by bus to a nearby church serving as a reunification centre for families. Parents hugged, kissed and held their kids’ hands as they walked to their cars, with some bringing along favourite stuffed animals or other comfort items from home.
The school in Bend, which is about 200 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.
The high-desert city has ballooned in population over the past three decades and is a tourism and outdoor recreation hub near Mount Bachelor.
Classes, sports and extracurriculars were cancelled Friday for all 32 schools in the Bend-La Pine district.
The shooting was the 28th mass killing in the US this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
The attacker used a pump-action shotgun that was purchased by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.
At a news conference, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said her heart was “absolutely broken” and thanked the civilian who pursued the shooter.
“To the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life: Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” she said. (AP)