BEND, Ore., Oct. 16, 2026 — Three children and a teacher were killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, while two other people were critically injured. The suspected gunman, a 16-year-old resident of Bend, also died after a community member confronted him inside the school, authorities said.
The children who died were 5, 8 and 11 years old, according to police. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to the hospital with critical injuries. Authorities have not publicly released the identities of the four victims or the suspected shooter.
The attack triggered a major emergency response in the Central Oregon community, with police officers and other first responders rushing to the school as emergency calls came in. Investigators are working to establish the teenager’s motive, whether he had any connection to the school and how he obtained the firearm used in the attack.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the first emergency call came in at approximately 12:59 p.m. Thursday. A driver outside the school reported being fired at multiple times by a person carrying a long gun. Within the following minutes, Deschutes County dispatch received additional 911 calls reporting that a shooter had entered the school.
According to the preliminary account provided by police, the suspect forced his way into Silver Rail Elementary School by shooting at locked doors. The school was directed to enter lockdown at approximately 1:01 p.m., and officers arrived at the scene at about 1:02 p.m.
Police said an officer reported that the suspected shooter had been shot by a community member who saw the teenager enter the building, followed him inside and engaged him. The suspect was subsequently found dead at the scene.
Authorities have not publicly identified the person who intervened. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised the individual for stepping in to stop the attack, while acknowledging the emotional consequences such an encounter could have. The circumstances surrounding the intervention remain part of the investigation.
What Investigators Know About the Suspect
Police have identified the suspected shooter as a 16-year-old male from Bend but have not released his name. Investigators have also not established publicly whether he attended Silver Rail Elementary School, had previously attended the school or knew any of the children or staff members targeted in the attack.
Preliminary reporting based on law-enforcement sources indicated that the teenager used a pump-action shotgun believed to have been purchased by his mother. Authorities have not publicly provided a complete account of how the weapon was obtained or disclosed a confirmed motive for the shooting.
The investigation is expected to examine the sequence of events leading up to the attack, the suspect’s background and any possible connection between him and the school. Police have urged the public to rely on verified updates as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the killings.
Following the shooting, officers evacuated the school room by room. Students and staff were taken to a designated family reunification site at Journey Church in Bend, where parents and guardians were able to meet their children. The reunification process was a central part of the emergency response as families sought information about the safety of their children.
School Closures and Community Response
Silver Rail Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Oregon Department of Education enrollment data cited in news reports showed that the school had 459 students enrolled during the preceding school year, underscoring the scale of the disruption caused by the attack.
All classes, sports and extracurricular activities across the Bend-La Pine Schools district were canceled for Friday, Oct. 16, as the community began to mourn the victims and school officials assessed the situation.
Superintendent Steven Cook described the shooting as an “unthinkable tragedy” and said the district was focused on supporting students, staff and families. The attack left parents and residents facing uncertainty as investigators continued to examine what happened and why.
Kotek ordered flags at Oregon public institutions to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset Friday in remembrance of those killed at the school. Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler also expressed grief, emphasizing that schools should be safe places where children can learn without fear of violence.
Community members gathered for a candlelight vigil at Drake Park on Thursday evening, bringing together residents to mourn the victims and support one another. Flowers and other memorial items were also placed near the school as the community began to process the loss.
The shooting has renewed concerns about school safety and the threat of gun violence in the United States. The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University database of mass killings counted the attack as the 28th mass killing in the country in 2026, using its criteria for incidents in which at least four people are killed, excluding the perpetrator.
For now, key questions remain unanswered. Investigators have not publicly established why the teenager targeted the school, whether he had a prior relationship with the victims or what events led him to carry out the attack. Authorities are continuing to investigate as families, school staff and residents mourn the three children and teacher who were killed.