BEND, Ore. — A 16-year-old gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, killing three children and a teacher before he was shot dead by a local resident who chased him into the building, police said.
The attack also left two people wounded — a child and a teacher — and triggered a wave of 911 calls from inside the school as officers raced to the scene. Authorities described a chaotic sequence of events in which an ordinary school day turned into one of the most serious episodes of school violence in the United States this year.
‘A Person With a Long Gun’
According to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz, the first emergency call came at about 1 p.m. local time from a person sitting in a car outside the school, who reported being fired at by an individual carrying a long gun. More calls followed from inside the building, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said, and officers reached the campus within minutes.
The gunman, armed with a long gun, opened fire inside the school, striking students and staff before he was confronted, Miller said. Police said the attacker was hit and went down inside the building shortly after officers arrived.
The Victims
The three children killed were 5, 8 and 11 years old, Krantz said at a briefing. A child and a teacher were wounded and taken to a hospital in Bend, where their conditions were not immediately known. A hospital spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Officials have not released the names of the victims. Police said families were still being notified as investigators worked to reconstruct the minutes before the shooting.
The Bystander Who Intervened
In a detail that has drawn national attention, the gunman was killed by a community member who pursued him into the school and opened fire, according to police. The episode ended inside the building, where the teenager was pronounced dead.
Investigators have not said whether the resident had any formal training or any connection to the school, and the exact circumstances of the confrontation remain under review. Authorities have also not described a possible motive or said how the teenager obtained the weapon.
A Community in Shock
Bend, a city of roughly 100,000 people in central Oregon, is known for its outdoor recreation and quiet neighborhoods. Within hours of the shooting, parents gathered at designated reunification points, while local officials urged residents to stay away from the school as the investigation continued.
Officials said the investigation is being conducted with assistance from state and federal agencies. Schools in the area tightened security and canceled activities as the community absorbed the news.
A Familiar National Debate
The shooting has renewed attention to school safety and gun policy in the United States, where attacks on schools have repeatedly prompted calls for tighter firearm regulations and stronger campus security.
The deadliest school shooting in U.S. history took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, when 20 children and six educators were killed. In 2022, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. In 2024, an attack at Apalachee High School in Georgia left four people dead.
Those episodes produced sweeping debates over background checks, the minimum age for buying firearms and the role of armed personnel on school grounds — debates that have again moved to the forefront after the events in Bend.
What Happens Next
Police said the investigation is continuing, with authorities expected to release further details in the coming days. Counselors and support services were being organized for students, staff and families affected by the attack.