Armed Bystander Shot and Killed 16-Year-Old Gunman Who Killed Three Children and a Teacher at Oregon Elementary School

A 16-year-old gunman who killed three children and a teacher at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, was shot dead by an armed bystander who followed him into the building, police said Thursday.

The attack began just before 1 p.m. at Silver Rail Elementary School, which serves kindergarten through fifth grade. The teen, a Bend resident whose name has not been released, first fired at a man in a red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck in the school’s parking lot after the driver confronted him, shattering the truck’s rear window and punching at least six bullet holes in the car, according to a New York Post report citing The Bend Source.

The driver called 911, reporting he had been “shot at multiple times by a person with a long gun.” Officers arrived at 1:02 p.m., within three minutes of the first call, but the teen had already picked his weapon back up and entered the school by firing at its locked doors, police said.

Children ages 5, 8 and 11 killed

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the children killed were ages five, eight and 11. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also shot and taken to the hospital in critical condition. The teacher who died has not yet been publicly identified.

The gunman died after being confronted by a civilian. He was “shot by a community member who had seen [him] enter the school, pursued him into the school, and engaged him,” Krantz told reporters at a press conference Thursday. EMS radio dispatch audio suggested the person who intervened may have been a student’s father, CNN reported. Police have identified the person only as a “community member.”

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek thanked the person who “heroically intervened to stop further loss of life,” saying no one “should have to live through this kind of day.” Residents gathered at Drake Park in Bend on Thursday evening for a candlelight vigil.

The weapon was a pump-action shotgun bought by the shooter’s mother, a law enforcement source told The Associated Press. In Oregon, buyers must be 18 to purchase rifles and shotguns, and people under 18 can possess non-handgun firearms only with parental consent. It is not yet known whether the teen had consent to use the gun.

Democrats renew calls for gun restrictions

Several Democratic lawmakers renewed calls for gun restrictions after the shooting. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said in a statement that “the best way to honor these victims is to at long last pass common-sense gun laws,” while Rep. Janelle Bynum, who represents the Bend area, attended the vigil and told CNN: “The most heartbreaking thing … is that we have a child involved in the killing of other children.”

The Bend-La Pine school district has previously barred all firearms on school property, including for concealed-carry holders, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported in 2022. Krantz said the investigation will be a long one.

Reporting based on coverage by the New York Post, The Times, CNN and Fox News.