October 15 was a regular school day for Bend, Oregon until it turned out to be one of the state’s darkest days.
According to the Al Jazeera report on the police briefing, the school went into lockdown at 1:01 p.m. local time. The primary school is situated in Bend, and it is about 100 miles away from Portland city.
The police arrived at the spot at 1:02 p.m.
"Three kids, ages 5, 8, and 11 years old, along with one teacher, were killed in the attack," said Police Chief Mike Krantz at a press conference Thursday night. The names of those who perished had not been disclosed in the available sources.
More injuries had occurred; two other people were seriously wounded; a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were hospitalized.
It was revealed that the gunman was 16 years old from Bend. He forced entry into the school but was not sure how far he was able to penetrate the school building.
The teen did not come out of the building alive. Krantz explained that officers came to know that the suspect was shot by a community member when he saw the suspect entering the school and followed him inside.
That community member was referred to only as “a community member,” and no relationship was provided between the community member and the school. It was told that the community member shot the suspect before the police arrived.
No motive was mentioned in any report, and the investigation is ongoing. The gun used by the suspect is not known yet.
The local officials found it difficult to explain the situation that had unfolded. Krantz explained that the incident is an event that nobody would want to witness in any place, “especially and particularly” Bend.
Steven Cook, Bend-La Pine Superintendent, referred to it as an “unthinkable tragedy.” Cook added that the community was “heartbroken” and “horrified.”
Speaking at the same press conference was Governor Tina Kotek, who commended the teachers, parents, and first responders, as well as adding that the unidentified community member “heroically intervened,” saving people’s lives.
Governor Kotek had attended the school before. According to her, she attended Silver Rail Elementary to meet the community and educators about a year ago.
The city has been subjected to gun violence recently. There was an incident on August 28, 2022, when an assailant murdered two individuals and injured two others before taking his own life inside the Bend Safeway. At that time, Krantz had been the city's police chief.
In Oregon, there have been cases of school shootings. For instance, in May 1998, a 15-year-old boy shot two individuals and wounded 25 others at Thurston High School in Springfield.
In both the prior cases, the age group of students and the school were quite different from today’s incident.
There is a lot of explaining to do by the police. This includes where the boy obtained his weapon, whether he had any connection to the school, and if anything was previously known about this matter.
The involvement of the bystander will be examined too. In cases like these, it is standard practice for investigators to analyze the intervention, although the police have not made any comment regarding any wrongdoings. His name has not been released to the public.
It is still not clear when Silver Rail School will reopen. Counseling will surely be one of the main concerns.
