Bystander ‘Heroically Intervened’ to Stop Active Shooter at Oregon Elementary School
A sheriff’s deputy walks outside Silver Rail Elementary school, where a shooting took place, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 in Bend, Ore.Credit: AP Photo/Joe KlineThe suspected 16-year-old shooter was fatally shot before police arrived
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said a community member intervened during the mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore., on Thursday, Oct. 15
Authorities said the suspected 16-year-old shooter was fatally shot before police arrived
At least four people, including three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, were killed in the tragedy
A bystander “heroically intervened” when an active shooter opened fire at an Oregon elementary school, killing at least four people, including three children.Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek confirmed that a “community member” stopped the shooter during a press conference held by the City of Bend. The shooter was described as a 16-year-old Bend resident, Mike Krantz, Chief of the Bend Police Department, said. When asked at the press conference if the shooter attended the school or knew anyone at the school, authorities declined to confirm.
Kotek said the bystander “heroically intervened to stop further loss of life.” She addressed the bystander directly, saying, “Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well.”
Krantz confirmed that the shooter was dead. “The suspect had been shot by a community member who had seen the suspect enter the school and pursued him,” he said during the press conference.
He noted that said the Deschutes County dispatch received a call from a victim in a car who was shot at the elementary school at 12:59 p.m. In the minutes that followed, the Bend Police Department received “dozens” of calls reporting the shooting.
Krantz said that the shooter “forced” entry into the school “by shooting at locked doors.” He could not confirm how far into the school the shooter went.
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Officers arrived on scene at 1:02 p.m. local time. The officers located five injured people, including the suspect. Each succumbed to their injuries. The victims included a teacher and three students: a 5-year-old, an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old.
A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher sustained critical injuries and were transported to the local hospital, St. Charles Bend.
Sheila Miller, a spokesperson for the Bend Police Department, said there were “multiple victims” in the shooting. Two law enforcement officials told the that the death toll was preliminary and could increase.
Source: Crime