A suspected gunman was killed inside an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday after a shooting injured multiple people, including children, police said.
Officers searched Silver Rail Elementary School room by room and evacuated those inside as investigators worked to determine who fired the shot that killed the suspect.
Authorities said a civilian may have confronted the shooter.
“We have not confirmed yet who shot the suspect. It may have been a bystander,” Sheila Miller, communications manager for the Bend Police Department, said at a news conference.
Police said there was a single shooter and confirmed that the suspect had died.
Bend police respond Thursday near Silver Rail Elementary School after a report of an active shooter. (KTVZ)
Bend Fire medics took at least two people to St. Charles hospital. Their conditions were not immediately available, and officials had not said how many children were among the victims or whether any of those hospitalized were students.
Silver Rail Elementary serves roughly 400 to 450 students and employs more than 40 staff members, officials said. It was not immediately known how many people were at the school when the shooting occurred.
Miller became emotional while describing the shooting’s effect on the Bend community.
“This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend. It’s devastating,” Miller said.
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Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, where police responded Thursday to reports of an active shooter. (Google Maps)
The first emergency call came in at about 12:59 p.m. and reported that a shot had been fired into a vehicle. Officers were alerted at 1 p.m. and reached the scene approximately two minutes later, Miller said.
Only seconds after officers arrived, a radio call indicated that the suspect was down. During the police response, dispatchers received several 911 calls reporting an active shooter inside the school.
Law enforcement officers gather near Silver Rail Elementary School Thursday after an active-shooter report. (KTVZ)
Police said hundreds of officers and other law enforcement personnel from agencies throughout Central Oregon responded to the scene.
Families were instructed to reunite at Journey Church, located at 61303 S. Highway 97. Authorities also asked the public to stay away from the school and surrounding area.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said he and his staff were following reports of the shooting closely.
“As details continue to come out, my heart is with the Bend community and all of the students and families affected,” Merkley said in a post on X. “No one should have to fear violence at school.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.