A 16-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, killing three children and a teacher before he was shot by a person at the scene who pursued him into the school

Police tape is placed outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)

A 16-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher before he was shot by a person at the scene who pursued him into the school, according to the chief of police.

The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to the hospital in critical condition, authorities say.

Police said they did not know if the shooter, a Bend resident, knew anyone at the school or whether he had attended.

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Officials will provide an update on the shooting

Officials plan to hold a news conference at 2 p.m. PDT Friday at the Bend Municipal Court about the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary. They say they will provide the latest information and share resources that are available for community members.

The shooting was the 28th mass killing in the US this year

That’s according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. See the database.

The attacker used a pump-action shotgun that was purchased by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.

Teen shooter kills 4 at Oregon elementary school before being shot by a witness

A 16-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher. He was then shot by a person at the scene who followed him inside, authorities said.

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People leave a family meeting area following a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)

The suspect was found dead inside the school minutes after the shooting was first reported, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said.

The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to the hospital in critical condition, he said.

The first 911 call came just before 1 p.m. from a person in a vehicle outside Silver Rail Elementary who reported being shot at by someone with a long gun, Krantz told reporters. Further 911 calls came from inside the school, and officers arrived on scene within minutes, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.

The attacker, who police identified as a Bend resident, was shot and went down inside the school shortly after officers arrived, she said.

Police tape is placed outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)