Three children and teacher killed in Oregon primary school shooting

Three children and one teacher have been killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, police said. The suspect was a 16-year-old who was shot dead by a bystander after forcing his way into the school on Thursday afternoon. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also taken to hospital in critical condition.

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Bend Police said emergency services were called at 12:59 local time after reports of an active shooter at the school. Officers said the first call came from a person reporting that an unknown suspect was firing into their car with a long gun. Minutes later, dispatchers received multiple 911 calls saying the attacker had entered the school and was shooting at locked doors to get inside.

Police said a community member pursued the teenager into the building and shot him dead before officers arrived. The children who died were aged five, eight and 11, according to police. The local school district said it was stunned and heartbroken by what it described as a senseless tragedy.

Schools across Bend were closed on Friday as the community responded to the attack and investigators continued their work at the scene. Police have not released the names of the victims, the suspect or the bystander who intervened. The shooting has renewed attention on school safety and the speed of response in active shooter incidents.

It also raises questions about how the suspect was able to approach the school and force entry by shooting at the doors. Police said it is still unclear whether the teenager had any connection to the school, and they have not given further details while the investigation continues. Silver Rail Elementary is a primary school in Bend, a city in central Oregon.

The incident adds to a long-running national debate in the United States over gun violence in schools and the role of armed intervention by civilians. In this case, police said the attacker was stopped by a bystander before officers reached the building, but the sequence of events remains under review. What remains unclear is the motive, whether the suspect had any prior link to the school, and how the attack began before the school entry.

Police have said they are continuing the investigation and have not released further identifying details. The condition of the two people in critical care will also be closely watched as officials provide more updates.

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