Multiple People Reportedly Killed in Oregon Elementary School Shooting, Gunman Dead

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

A gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, October 15, leaving several people dead, according to federal law enforcement sources, and triggering a massive emergency response as police evacuated students and secured the campus.

The shooting occurred at Silver Rail Elementary School in southeastern Bend shortly before 1 p.m. local time. Authorities confirmed that the suspected shooter was killed, although investigators had not determined who fired the fatal shot.

Federal law enforcement officials told CBS News that several people had been killed. Local authorities, however, had not independently confirmed a death toll beyond the suspected gunman or identified the victims.

Bend Police communications manager Sheila Miller said at a news conference that multiple people were injured and at least two victims had been transported to St. Charles Medical Center.

“The victims include children,” Miller confirmed, without providing their ages or the severity of their injuries.

Police had not established whether those hospitalized were among the individuals reported killed, and the total number of casualties remained uncertain.

According to the Associated Press, police received an initial emergency call at approximately 12:59 p.m. reporting that someone had fired into a vehicle outside the school.

Additional emergency calls subsequently came from inside the building, prompting authorities to deploy officers and emergency medical personnel to the campus.

Police arrived within minutes and discovered that the suspected gunman had been fatally shot inside the school. Investigators were examining whether a responding officer or another individual had fired the shot.

The gunman’s identity and possible motive had not been released.

As emergency personnel responded, the school was placed on lockdown, and officers began evacuating classrooms while searching the building for additional threats.

Bend Police initially issued a public warning about the unfolding emergency.

“The Bend Police Department is currently at Silver Rail Elementary School after a report of an active shooter. There is a large police presence in the area. Please avoid the area. We will share more information as soon as we can,” the department stated.

Authorities urged residents to remain away from the school while emergency personnel secured the surrounding streets and assisted victims.

Silver Rail Elementary serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade and had approximately 459 children enrolled during the previous school year.

The shooting prompted lockdowns at other schools in the Bend-La Pine district as officials worked to determine whether additional threats existed.

Police established a reunification location for families at Journey Church, 61303 S. Highway 97, near Goodwill and Dairy Queen.

According to local television station KTVZ, families were directed to the church rather than the school while officers continued emergency operations.

The shooting sent shockwaves through Bend, a central Oregon community where parents and residents watched police vehicles, ambulances and other emergency responders converge on the elementary campus.

Federal authorities, including the FBI, joined local law enforcement agencies in investigating the attack.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley issued a statement expressing concern for the students, families and emergency personnel affected.

“My team and I are closely monitoring reports of an active shooter situation at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend,” Merkley said.

“As details continue to come out, my heart is with the Bend community and all of the students and families affected,” he added.

“No one should have to fear violence at school,” the senator said.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek was also monitoring the situation as investigators worked to establish the sequence of events and determine the extent of the casualties.

Authorities had not disclosed how the shooter entered the school, whether the attack was directed at particular individuals or what weapons were recovered.

The circumstances surrounding the gunman’s death also remained under investigation.

The Bend Police Department’s initial public alert advised the community to avoid the area and directed parents to the designated reunification site.

As of Thursday afternoon, officials had confirmed multiple victims, including children, and the death of the suspected shooter. Reports of additional fatalities were attributed to federal law enforcement sources, with local officials still working to establish a verified casualty count.

The investigation remains active, and authorities are expected to release additional details as victims are identified and families are notified.