Oregon school shooting: Suspected gunman was 16 years old

That press conference we've been waiting for has begun. This is Police Chief Mike Krantz. Let's listen in. At 12.59 p.m. today, Deschutes County Dispatch received a 911 call from a person in a vehicle who reported being shot at multiple times by a person with a long gun. In the ensuing several minutes, Dispatch received dozens of 911 calls reporting that a shooter had entered the building at Silver Rail Elementary School on Southeast Stone Creek Lane in Bend, Oregon. Dispatch used a tone to alert all law enforcement at 1 p.m. One minute later, officers responding to the scene directed the school to go into lockdown at 1.01 p.m. At 1.02 p.m., our first officers arrived on scene. Moments later, an officer reported that a suspect had been shot by a community member who had seen the suspect enter the school and pursued him into the school and engaged him. Our officers entered the building and confirmed the suspect was dead. They cleared the school to ensure there were no additional threats and then rendered emergency aid to the victims. Officers at the scene located five people who had succumbed to their injuries, including the suspect. The deceased at the scene include three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, and one teacher. One 7-year-old child and one 54-year-old teacher were transported by Bend Fire to St. Charles Bend with critical injuries. The families of the victims have all been notified. We have identified the suspect as a 16-year-old Bend resident. Law enforcement personnel, including Bend Police, Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Redmond Police, Oregon State Police, and our federal law enforcement partners and others, worked together to methodically evacuate each room of the building and continue this investigation. All students and staff at the scene were transported by Bend-LaPine school buses to Journey Church for reunification with families and guardians. And that process is still ongoing. In August, every Bend police officer went through a full day of active threat training at a local high school. And unfortunately, this is something we train for on a regular basis, and we must. This is going to be a long investigation. We will have a large police presence at Silver Rail Elementary School for the next several days as our officers continue to conduct a very thorough investigation so we get all the answers. We appreciate your patience as we continue to investigate this terrible tragedy. This is something we never want to happen anywhere, but especially and particularly in our beautiful community here in Bend. There are not really any words I can say to any of you that will make this better. But please know that we are working hard to ensure that we conduct a thorough investigation. This is a time that we know this deeply impacts the community. I ask everyone to lean on each other and be there for each other. Thank you. Next up, we'll hear from Bend-LaPine School's superintendent, Steve Cook. Thank you, Sheila. Today, an unthinkable tragedy happened at Silver Rail Elementary School. No community should have to do what we're doing right now. I don't have any words for what this community is feeling right now, and I don't think anyone does. We are heartbroken. We are horrified. This is the kind of thing you hear about in other places, and pray that it never happens here, and it has happened here. Today it happened to our children, to our teachers, and to our families. To the families that have had loss tonight, we are with you, and we will stay with you. To our staff who helped our students and protected our kids today, we thank you. You did what no one should ever be asked to do. I am so grateful beyond words for your efforts. To our community, I echo what Chief Krantz says. This is a time to love and care for one another and to show compassion for the victims and the families and their loved ones. All of our schools and communities, all of our schools and activities are canceled for tomorrow. we will have crisis counselors available at the central library for our students for our families for our employees and anyone in this community that needs support right now this is for everyone please hold your children hold your loved ones tight tonight let them talk let them cry let them know we are going to rally and care for one another in this community we will get through this but not yet we must grieve for the loss of our community members thank you Next up we'll hear from Bend Mayor Melanie Kuebler. Today is an awful day for our community. Our hearts are broken as we mourn this tragedy and the profound impact it has had on so many people, especially the children, families, educators, and school staff whose lives have been forever changed. A school should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure. What happened today should never happen like so many in our community i'm struggling to make sense of a loss that feels unimaginable i encourage our community to find comfort in one another and to support the families students teachers and school staff who are carrying an enormous burden today in the coming days there'll be opportunities to gather including a community vigil tonight to mourn together honor those affected and those lost and begin the difficult process of healing on behalf of the city of Bend, I extend my deepest condolences to every person impacted by this tragedy. We grieve with you and we will support one another through the difficult days ahead. No matter how you're feeling right now, angry, sad, devastated, numb, those are valid feelings and in the coming days we're all going to need to lean on each other for support. So Bend, your leaders are with you, we are here for you, we grieve alongside you and we will get through this together. Thank you.