Community mourns after deadly shooting at Bend, Oregon, elementary school

BEND, OR — A community in central Oregon is in mourning after a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday afternoon killed three children and a teacher, according to police.

Officers were called to the school shortly after 1 p.m. on Oct. 15. Police said the attacker, a 16-year-old Bend resident, forced his way through locked doors. He was found dead inside the school minutes after the first calls. Authorities said a person at the scene followed him inside and shot him.

The children who were killed were 5, 8 and 11 years old. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators have not said what motivated the attack or whether the attacker had any connection to the school.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said her heart was “absolutely broken” and thanked the person who “heroically intervened to stop further loss of life.”

Families were reunited with their children at a nearby church. Residents gathered for a candlelight vigil at Drake Park on Thursday night, and classes and activities were canceled Friday at all 32 schools in the Bend-La Pine district.