Bend, Oregon: A 16-year-old boy opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, killing three children and a teacher before he was shot by a bystander who pursued him into the school, authorities said.

Authorities found the suspect dead inside the school on Thursday afternoon (Oregon time) minutes after the shooting was first reported, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said.

The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to a hospital in critical condition, Krantz said.

The attacker, identified as a Bend resident, forced his way into the school by shooting at locked doors, police said. He was shot and went down inside the school shortly after officers arrived, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.

The first 911 call came just before 1pm on Thursday from a person in a vehicle outside Silver Rail Elementary, who reported being shot at by someone with a long gun, Krantz said.

Further 911 calls came from inside the school, and officers arrived on the scene within minutes, Miller said.

Police said they did not know if the attacker knew anyone at the school or whether he had attended.

The attacker used a pump-action shotgun that was purchased by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting. The official spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the investigation.

The school in Bend, Oregon, which is more than 160 kilometres south-east of Portland, had 459 enrolled students as of last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education. The school serves students in kindergarten through to fifth grade.

At a news conference on Thursday night, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said her heart was “absolutely broken”. She thanked the civilian who pursued the shooter.

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

Children were being reunited with their parents on Thursday evening.

Silver Rail Elementary teaches children aged roughly from five to 11, in Bend, which is in the Oregon high desert adjacent to the Deschutes National Forest. The school has about 450 students and 40 staff members, Miller said.

“We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy,” said Bend-La Pine Schools superintendent Steven Cook.

“We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing. Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders.”

US Representative Maxine Dexter, a physician who represents a portion of Portland east of the Willamette River, called the shooting a “devastating day for Oregon”.

“Schools should be places of learning, friendship and joy. It is incumbent on me, and every lawmaker, to do everything we can to ensure our kids are safe,” she said in a statement.

FBI chief Kash Patel said on X that federal agents were on the scene “assisting our local partners in the investigation” and that his agency would “make every resource they need available”.

AP, Reuters, Bloomberg

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