US: 3 children, 1 adult killed in shooting at Oregon elementary school

Three children and one adult tragically lost their lives in a shooting that occurred at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon on Thursday, according to US media reports citing sources. At least two individuals were also transported to a hospital due to their injuries after the incident took place.

Police responded to a 911 call around 12:59pm, which reported that an unidentified man had fired a shot into a car outside the school. Shortly thereafter, additional emergency calls were reported, stating that a person had entered the school and commenced shooting. The attacker was subsequently shot and killed inside the school; however, it remains uncertain who fired the fatal shot.

Sheila Miller, the spokesperson for the Bend Police Department, disclosed that the attacker's killer could have been a bystander. She added that the authorities were still unaware of the number of casualties, stating, "We don’t have a number at this point. We know children are among the victims."

The condition of those taken to the hospital was not immediately known. As soon as the police arrived at the scene, they initiated an evacuation of the school, room by room, to ensure the safety of everyone inside. Police Chief Miller expressed the devastation that such a senseless tragedy brings to the community, saying, "This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend."

The school was placed under a lockdown, and the Bend-La Pine school district established a reunification point for families to collect their children. Superintendent Steven Cook of the school district expressed his heartbreak and condolences, saying, "We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing."

The Silver Rail Elementary School, which serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade, had 459 enrolled students as of the previous year, according to the Oregon Department of Education.