An active shooter at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, left behind a trail of victims, including children. There is preliminary information that the suspect might have been stopped by a bystander, although the situation is still developing.
The suspect is a 16-year-old male, according to CNN.
Bend police said three children were killed, ages 5, 6 and 11, as well as a teacher. A Good Samaritan stopped the shooter. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were hospitalized. The suspect “shot through locked school doors, got inside the building and then opened fire,” the Bend Bulletin reported.
Four people were killed, including three children, CNN also reported. The active shooter is also dead, CNN noted. The suspect’s name and motive were not released. NBC News reported that two victims were taken to the hospital with unknown conditions.
Bend is located 3.5 hours south of Portland. “@FBIPortland is on the scene and assisting our local partners in the investigation regarding an earlier shooting at a local school. We will make every resource they need available,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X as word of the mass shooting broke out on October 15.
The Silver Rail Elementary School Active Shooter Shot Into a Car Before Entering the Building
BREAKING | BEND, OREGON: Initial reports from police scanner traffic suggest a father at Silver Rail Elementary School may have shot and killed the suspected gunman.
If confirmed, his actions may have saved lives. Authorities have not yet verified these details. pic.twitter.com/JX6AE6B2tY— 🅝🅔🅡🅓🅨 (@Nerdy_Addict) October 15, 2026
Police made it to the scene within three minutes, but a heroic bystander may have already intervened.
According to NBC News, dispatch audio indicated that the suspect first shot into a car before entering the school. Authorities then received “multiple 911 calls” that the shooter was inside the school.
At 12:59 p.m., dispatch received the first call, Bend authorities said in a media briefing. At 1:02 p.m., the police arrived at the scene, and they learned the shooter was down. It’s not clear who “shot and killed” the suspect, according to the briefing. It might have been a bystander, authorities said in the briefing.
There were multiple victims, authorities confirmed. “We are taking an active shooter call,” the dispatcher said in audio. “It looks like the shooter has been neutralized, possibly shot by a father at the school.” That detail has not been verified by law enforcement, however.
Oregon Officials Weighed in on the Active Shooter Tragedy
Oregon authorities said they were watching the situation closely.
“I am closely monitoring the situation at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend. I am grateful to the first responders who are on the scene. I will share as I learn more,” said Gov. Tina Kotek.
“My team and I are closely monitoring reports of an active shooter situation at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend,” said U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley. “As details continue to come out, my heart is with the Bend community and all of the students and families affected. No one should have to fear violence at school.”
A reunification area has been set up for parents at Journey Church, 61303 S Highway 97 near Goodwill and Dairy Queen.
Photos show the law enforcement response to the scene.
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