Three children and one adult were killed Thursday in a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon. The suspected shooter, a 16-year-old male, was shot dead by an armed bystander, police said.

The Deschutes County Dispatch said it received a 911 call at 12:59 p.m., local time, from a person in a vehicle reporting they had been shot at multiple times by a person with a long gun. That report was followed by multiple 911 calls reporting that a person had entered a building at Silver Rail Elementary School and opened fire. The preliminary investigation indicates the shooter forced their way into the school by firing at locked doors, according to authorities.

Police officers arrived on the scene at 1:02 p.m. and, seconds later, officers reported that the suspect had been shot and killed. The suspect was shot by a community member who saw the suspect enter the school and confronted him, according to authorities. Several police and first responders arrived on scene.

Authorities have not named the victims, shooter or bystander. The victims were children ages 5, 8 and 11 and a teacher, police said. The figures are preliminary, and authorities cautioned that the death toll could change as the investigation continues.

Two people, including a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher, were taken to nearby St. Charles Bend Hospital and remain in critical condition.

The shooter was a Bend resident, the city’s police chief, Mike Kantz, said at a press conference Thursday evening.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised the first responders and community member who intervened to stop the shooter, calling the tragedy heartbreaking.

“This is a horrible day,” Kotek said during a news conference Thursday evening. “No parent should have to have this kind of day, and no community should have to live through this kind of day.”

“To the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life: Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden,” she added, “and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you, as well.”

Police set up a reunification site for parents and caregivers at nearby Journey Church. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is coordinating the response across multiple state agencies. FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday that the agency was on the scene and assisting local partners. “We will make every resource they need available,” Patel said on X.

All Bend-La Pine Schools are closed Friday, and the school district said it canceled all school activities. Silver Rail Elementary School enrolls between 400 and 450 students and has an estimated 40 faculty members, according to police.

In 2026 so far, there have been 25 school shootings that resulted in injuries or deaths, according to a tally by Education Week. Thirteen people, including six students or other children, were killed across those shootings, the education news outlet reports. (The tally includes incidents where a firearm was discharged on K-12 school property or a school bus while school was in session or during a school-sponsored event, and any individual other than the suspect suffered a bullet wound during the incident.)

“Today, families in Bend are living through every parent’s worst nightmare,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of the anti-gun violence group Moms Demand Action. “No parent should have to wonder whether the school drop-off will be the last time they see their child.”

Marc Santia contributed to this report.

This story has been updated to include additional information about the suspected shooter and the bystander who allegedly killed him.

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