Four killed in Oregon elementary school shooting; 16-year-old suspect shot by bystander

A shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on October 15, 2026, killed four people—three children and one teacher—and injured two others, according to police. The 16-year-old gunman was fatally shot by a community member who witnessed him entering the building.

Police received the first emergency call at approximately 12:59 p.m. local time reporting shots fired at a vehicle outside the school. Within one minute, multiple 911 calls reported that an armed person had entered the building and opened fire. Officers arrived at the scene within three minutes of the initial dispatch call and found the suspect already shot dead inside the school.

According to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz, the three children killed were aged 5, 8, and 11. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were wounded and taken to St. Charles Medical Center in critical condition. The gunman was identified as a 16-year-old male resident of Bend; police have not released his identity or established a motive. A community member who witnessed the suspect entering the school pursued him and fatally shot him, according to law enforcement sources.

Authorities evacuated the school's approximately 400 students and established a reunification center at a nearby church for families. The Bend-La Pine School District announced that all schools in the district would be closed on October 16. The investigation, led by local authorities with assistance from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is ongoing. Police are working to determine whether the gunman had any connection to the school and to establish the motive for the attack.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden issued statements expressing condolences. Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook described the community as "stunned and heartbroken" by the tragedy. The incident reflects continued concerns about school gun violence in the United States, with multiple law enforcement databases documenting dozens of school shooting incidents nationwide in 2026.