A community member rushed toward an Oregon elementary school after a teenage gunman opened fire, an intervention authorities say may have prevented an even greater loss of life. The attack left four people dead, including three children.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised the unidentified civilian following the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday afternoon.

“To the community member who heroically intervened, your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” Kotek said during a press conference.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the civilian pursued and “engaged” the 16-year-old suspect soon after the teenager began shooting, injuring at least six people.

Police said the teen was carrying a pump-action shotgun that had been purchased by his mother. The shooting claimed the lives of three children, ages five, eight and 11, along with a teacher.

Authorities have not released the names of those killed in the Silver Rail Elementary School shooting.

Kotek credited the community member’s intervention with helping to stop the attack before more people could be killed.

“My heart is absolutely broken today. This is a horrible day. No parent should have to have this kind of day,” the governor said.

A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also wounded during the attack and taken to hospital in critical condition. Their latest status has not been disclosed.

“This is a terrible tragedy, and we are working hard to investigate this incident,” Krantz said.

According to The Source, the incident began when a man in a red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck saw the teenager carrying a long gun toward the school building.

The driver confronted the teen, who allegedly responded by firing multiple rounds at the man and his truck. The gunfire shattered the vehicle’s rear window and left six large bullet holes in its body.

The suspect then reportedly threw the shotgun over the school fence and climbed after it. The driver called Deschutes County dispatchers at about 12:59 p.m., according to the report.

Police ordered the school into lockdown as officers arrived at the scene within minutes.

The teenager allegedly entered the building by shooting through locked doors. Krantz said dispatchers began receiving “dozens” of emergency calls from inside the school.

The suspect was later found dead after being shot.

‘Officers at the scene located five people who had succumbed to their injuries, including the suspect,’ Krantz said.

The school was placed under lockdown following the shooting, as police officers went room by room to evacuate the building, police spokeswoman Sheila Miller said. The school has a student body of between 400 to 450 pupils and a staff of more than 40.

Officers clad in bullet proof vests and carrying assault rifles were also seen in the aftermath peering into the vehicles parked at the school’s lot, while parents, teachers and children huddled together, embracing and wiping tears from their faces. 

A motive for the shooting remains unclear, and authorities would not confirm on Thursday night whether the suspect knew anybody at the school or if he had attended it when he was younger. 

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Dr Steven Cook held back tears as he thanked emergency responders and the schools staff for their efforts to protect students during the attack. 

‘Today, an unthinkable tragedy happened at Silver Rail Elementary School,’ he began.

‘We are heartbroken. We are horrified. This is the kind of thing you hear about in other places and pray that it never happens here… today it happened to our children, our teachers and our families.’

As Cook uttered words to his community, his voice waivered when he thanked the heroic efforts of the school staff.

‘To our staff who helped our students and protected our kids today, we thank you. You did what no one should ever be asked to do. I am so grateful beyond words for your efforts,’ he said.

‘This is a time to love and care for one another…Please hold your loved ones tight tonight…We are going to rally and care for one another… We will get through this.’

Worried parents rushed to the nearby Journey Church to be reunited with their loved ones as officials evacuated the youngest children first.

As she waited for her nephew, Mindy Corley, the aunt of a fifth-grader at the school, told NBC News how he was left ‘very scared’ in the aftermath of the shooting.

She said he has a cellphone and was able to tell his mother he was OK, but ‘he was clearly very, very scared and wanted to go home.’

Steven and Angela Nuchols also told how they got their eight-year-old daughter, Charlotte, dressed up for picture day earlier on Thursday.

They then had to race to the school just a few hours later.

‘It was crawling with police officers from all over the country,’ Angela said. ‘You’ve got guys in tactical gear, rifles. You’re just scared to death wondering is your child OK? You don’t know.’

The couple was later reunited with their daughter, but Angela said it was ‘like the worst three hours of our lives.’

Meanwhile, Federal agents from the FBI’s Portland Bureau and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have descended on the scene to aid in the investigation, with FBI Director Kash Patel vowing to ‘make every resource [local law enforcement needs] available.’

The city’s mayor, Melanie Kebler, said that their ‘hearts are broken.’

‘A school should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure. What happened today should never happen,’ she added.

The school district has canceled all classes, activities and athletic events that were scheduled for Friday.

Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more

After more than 20 years working in the physically demanding building trade, roofer Tommy Alsop assumed he was in reasonably good health.

That confidence changed when he developed a persistent health problem and grew dissatisfied with the limited, symptom-focused care he received. At 41, Alsop realised he had little understanding of what was happening inside his own body, while his treatment had concentrated almost entirely on one injury. He decided to take a much broader look at his health and daily habits.

For the next three years, the father-of-two took a detailed, data-led approach, regularly examining his bloodwork and physical performance. His tracking covered body composition, VO₂ max, recovery, nutrition, stress levels and sleep, alongside blood tests and physical assessments.

‘I started with a complete blood panel, something I’d never had, despite seeing specialists and undergoing two surgeries,’ Alsop told Daily Mail. ‘That one test gave me more useful information than all the appointments I’d previously attended.’

The results became a guide for changing his routine and measuring what worked. ‘I became fascinated by the data and the way small lifestyle changes produced measurable results. Instead of relying on hope, I measured the outcome and adjusted my plan when the numbers changed.’

Years of knee trouble had made even walking on sand difficult. But after adopting a more comprehensive health and training plan, Alsop says he was able to return to deadlifting and squatting within about a month. He now describes himself as being in the strongest condition of his life, crediting a transformation that began beneath the surface.

The Northern Beaches resident is now using that experience to help other Australians take a more informed approach to their wellbeing through his business, Peak Health.

Peak Health provides personalised health management programs informed by each client’s bloodwork. Members begin with a detailed pathology test, with optional physical performance assessments, before receiving a tailored plan developed by a qualified practitioner.

‘The process begins with evidence,’ the Peak Health website explains. ‘Once you understand what is taking place inside your body, you can create a focused, individual plan aimed at the changes that matter most.’

Longevity medicine is frequently associated with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and wealthy investors rather than a Sydney tradesman. Yet Alsop had seen how physically demanding jobs, combined with a workplace culture of ignoring pain and saying ‘she’ll be right’, could lead people to neglect their health. He created Peak Health for people who maintain their cars meticulously but can go two decades without having a blood panel.

‘Tradies often work in tough conditions every day,’ Alsop said. ‘Some feel that seeing a doctor is a sign of weakness, while others simply believe they cannot spare the time. So they continue pushing themselves.’

Although tradespeople inspired the concept, Peak Health is intended for anyone who wants a clearer picture of their wellbeing through a health program built around personal data.

It may appeal to people living with aches they have repeatedly put off addressing, those whose fitness has stalled in middle age, or already-active individuals seeking to train more intelligently. For all of them, learning what is happening below the surface can provide a more informed alternative to following the latest fitness trend.

‘This isn’t about promising people extra years,’ Peak Health says. ‘It is about being able to carry your grandchild up the stairs at 70, while understanding your health position early enough to do something about it.’ The service aims to help people perform, feel and function better throughout their lives.

The program starts with an advanced pathology panel. A single blood sample is used to assess more than 90 markers, providing a broader picture than a standard health check.

Clients are given a straightforward written overview of their results. When further clinical input is appropriate, cases are directed to an AHPRA-registered doctor or nurse practitioner working within formal clinical governance arrangements.

There are optional in-person, physical diagnostic assessments available too through partner sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane: The DEXA scan measures bone density, muscle mass and visceral fat, flagging fracture risk, and overall strength.

The 90-minute longevity session assesses cardiovascular fitness, strength and balance, including a Clinical-grade VO₂ max test evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness, heart-lung coordination, and endurance capacity, and force plate testing to highlight strength gaps and track injury recovery.

Following assessment, a plan is prepared that is entirely unique to the client, based on their personal data. The plan can include nutrition, training, sleep, recovery and supplementation (where required) programs customised by a qualified Australian clinician. 

The consultations take place via video call, around the client’s schedule – meaning there’s no need to take a day off work to make it to an appointment. The model was designed this way with intention, ‘so a tradie in Dubbo gets the same clinic as one in Dee Why.’

‘Requiring a man to take a day off work is the single biggest reason this workforce never gets tested,’ Peak Health states.

The Peak Health app tracks the patient’s markers and progress over time, and can connect to wearable fitness trackers to monitor results in real time.

Scheduled check-ins with the same practitioner and repeat pathology to assess progress mean adjustments can be made to the program based on data as needed.

To learn more about Peak Health, and take the assessment quiz, visit the website.

An inner-west Sydney suburb has been placed under lockdown after a man allegedly armed with a shotgun set fire to a stolen car before escaping on foot.

Emergency services were called to a car park on Williams Parade in Dulwich Hill after reports of a stolen vehicle.

Police arriving at the scene were told a man inside the vehicle had a firearm and deliberately ignited the car.

Police said the man fled on foot and was last spotted on Union Street.

Nearby businesses and cafes were ordered into lockdown, while Dulwich Hill Public School was also secured. Residents said children at the school hid beneath their desks.

Public transport was suspended in the area and residents were urged to remain indoors as officers began searching for the suspect.

Police have launched a major manhunt.

Witnesses told 9News the man was believed to be carrying a sawn-off shotgun. Some also reported seeing an altercation involving several people before the vehicle caught fire.

Firefighters extinguished the burning vehicle, and no injuries have been reported.

A crime scene has been established, with local roads closed and motorists advised to avoid the area.

Light rail services between Dulwich Hill and Lilyfield have also been suspended.

Heavily armed tactical officers were seen combing the area alongside police helicopters.

Police described the suspect as a Caucasian man in his 20s, approximately 160cm tall, with a thin build and shaggy hair.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Andrew Cabot: Net Worth, Age, Marriage, and Role as Privateer Rum CEO – NewsFinale

He was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and long black pants.

Inner West Police Area Command Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald said officers had carried out an extensive search but were unable to find the man.

“An extensive search was conducted by PolAir, police on the ground and our dog squad, which did not locate the male,” Fitzgerald told reporters.

“The streets have been locked down to continue the search.”

Superintendent Fitzgerald warned the public to not approach the man and to call police immediately if he is spotted. 

‘Do not approach this person,’ Fitzgerald said. ‘We understand he is armed with a shotgun’. 

She confirmed emergency services received one report of a man with a shotgun and that ‘no shots were fired’ at the scene despite earlier reports. 

Three witnesses, who were at the scene and confirmed the man was armed, were threatened with the weapon.  

‘They were threatened with a weapon as they were trying to leave the area,’ Fitzgerald said.

Superintendent Fitzgerald also confirmed the vehicle the armed man was in was a van, which was stolen from the Inner West Area Command ‘days ago’. 

The van has since been spotted by members of the public in the last half hour. 

Forensic investigators are at the crime scene and police have established a large exclusion area as they continue the man hunt. 

Some units remain on lockdown and many locals who live in the area are being escorted by police back to their homes. 

Traffic in the area is also locked down, while traffic control authorities are set to assess the Light Rail closures over the next few hours. 

As inquiries continue, anyone with information is urged to contact Inner West Police Area Command or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.