On Thursday afternoon, a 16‑year‑old suspect broke through locked doors at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, and opened fire, killing three children aged five, eight and 11, along with a teacher.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the teenager blasted through the doors to gain entry, and a bystander pursued the gunman inside, fatally shooting him before police arrived three minutes later.

Police confirmed the shooter was dead when officers reached the school, and they began a search of the premises shortly after arriving.

A second child, aged seven, and a 54‑year‑old teacher remain hospitalized in critical condition following the attack.

The incident prompted Governor Tina Kotek to praise the community member who intervened, describing the action as heroic and acknowledging the emotional burden on the shooter’s neutraliser.

Authorities have not disclosed the type of weapon used, though multiple law‑enforcement sources indicated a shotgun, and they have not yet determined any prior connection between the shooter and the school.

Silver Rail Elementary, which serves about 450 students and employs more than 40 staff members, will remain closed on Friday as the community mourns and begins the healing process.

A candlelit vigil held that evening drew hundreds of residents who gathered to sing, pray, and lay flowers and candles, expressing solidarity and grief over the tragedy.

The shooting adds to a national pattern, with the K‑12 School Shooting Database recording 235 incidents in the United States last year and at least 140 so far this year.