What happened at Silver Rail Elementary
At least three children and one adult died Thursday in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, in the western United States, according to police sources cited by US media. The incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. local time. The suspect was shot dead, police said. CBS, the BBC's US partner, reported that Bend police communications manager Sheila Miller said at a press conference that the teenage attacker was found dead with a gunshot wound and may have been shot by a passerby.[S1][S2]
According to Miller, local law enforcement went to the school after receiving reports of an active shooter at 12:59. The first call indicated that an unknown man had fired at a car, she said. Shortly afterward, the county emergency center received a flood of calls and officers were sent to the scene. The suspected attacker died from gunfire around 1:02 p.m., Miller said. Police have not officially announced the number of dead or released the names of the victims, the attacker, or the passerby.[S1][S2]
Parents of students at the school were told to pick up their children at a nearby church after the incident. Steven Cook, superintendent of the Bend-La Pine school district, said in a statement that the community was devastated by the senseless tragedy and expressed condolences to the families and all those affected. He added that immediate priorities were the well-being of students and staff and cooperation with law enforcement and emergency teams.[S1]
Victims and investigation details
CNN and CBS News, citing police sources, reported that one adult and three children died in the shooting, but authorities have not confirmed this. Bend police, in a city of about 100,000 people in central Oregon, said the first call about the incident, which occurred at 1 p.m. local time, indicated that an unknown man had fired at a car at Silver Rail Elementary. Officers who arrived seconds later found the suspect shot dead, possibly by a passerby, according to a police statement.[S2]
Sheila Miller, a spokesperson for the Bend Police Department, told journalists that investigators had not yet confirmed who shot the suspect. Miller said at least two victims were taken to a hospital, but she did not know their condition. A later police statement published online said authorities had confirmed multiple victims, at least two of whom were taken to the hospital, and added that there were children among the victims. Silver Rail Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade, roughly children aged 5 to 11. It has about 450 students and 40 staff members, Miller said.[S2]
