A 16-year-old shooter opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, fatally shooting a teacher and three children, before he was killed by a community member, authorities said at a evening news conference.
A seven-year-old and a 54-year-old have also been hospitalized with critical injuries, according to police.
The gunman, who was a Bend resident, has not been publicly identified. Officials said they are still investigating if he had ties to Silver Rail elementary school.
The deadly shooting has rocked the city of 100,000 residents located on the Deschutes River, roughly 170 miles south-east of Portland.
“Please hold your children, hold your loved ones tight tonight. Let them talk. Let them cry. Let them know we are going to rally and care for one another in this community,” said Steven Cook, the superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools.
“We will get through this – but not yet. We must grieve for the loss of our community members.”
At 1.02pm, police responded to Silver Rail elementary school after receiving several reports about an active shooter. One 911 caller reported an individual armed with a long gun firing upon their car. Police did not specify the firearm’s make.
Dozens of callers stated the shooter had entered the school, continuing the attack inside.
He forced entry into the building by shooting at locked doors, according to police.
By the time officers arrived on scene, the suspected assailant had been shot and killed by a bystander, who apprehended him inside.
Oregon governor Tina Kotek praised the intervention as heroic and extended her thoughts to the bystander. “Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden,” she said on Thursday evening.
The Bend-La Pine school district announced that its schools would be closed on Friday due to the tragedy.
The FBI is helping local authorities investigate the shooting, according to the agency’s director Kash Patel.
The shooting began about an hour before the school day was set to end.
“A school should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure,” said Bend mayor Melanie Kebler. “Like so many in our community, I’m struggling to make sense of a loss that feels unimaginable.”