Shooting at Bend elementary school in Oregon kills several, gunman dead

The shooting and the police response

Police in Bend, Oregon, said they received a first 911 call at about 12:59 local time on Thursday, 15 October, reporting that an unknown man had fired at a car near Silver Rail Elementary School. Within a minute, several more calls reported that a person had entered the school and begun shooting. Officers reached the scene about three minutes after the first call, and within seconds they were told the suspect had been shot dead, possibly by a witness. Police have not yet confirmed who fired at the suspect, and said that person may have been a bystander.

1. Oct 15, 12:59 PMFirst 911 call reports a man firing at a car near Silver Rail Elementary School
2. About one minute after the first callFurther 911 calls report a person entering the school and shooting
3. About three minutes after the first callPolice officers arrive at the school
4. Seconds after officers arriveOfficers are told the suspect has been shot dead, possibly by a witness

Casualties remain unconfirmed

Police have said there are several victims, including children, and that at least two people were taken to St. Charles Bend hospital, where their condition was not known. Police had not published an official death toll. Media reports differ. CNN, citing law enforcement sources, reported three children and an adult killed. The Associated Press, citing two unnamed officers, reported at least five dead in a preliminary count that could change, and said it was unclear whether the gunman was among them. La Razón, citing preliminary information from authorities, reported at least four dead, also without saying whether the suspect was counted. 20minutes reported four dead, citing police sources, and noted the figure had not been officially confirmed.

Lockdown and evacuation

The school was placed in lockdown, and officers searched each classroom in turn, evacuating everyone inside. Students were bused to Journey Church, a little over two kilometres away, where families were asked to come for reunification. Police said a significant presence would remain around the school and the church for as long as needed, and asked the public to avoid the area. Silver Rail had 459 students enrolled last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education. The school teaches children from kindergarten to fifth grade and sits more than 160 kilometres southeast of Portland.

Reactions and wider context

Steven Cook, superintendent of the Bend-La Pine school district, said in a statement that the district was shocked and heartbroken, and that its immediate priorities were its students and staff and supporting police and emergency crews. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek posted on Facebook that she was following the situation and thanked authorities for their quick response. Gun-control groups also responded. Brady described school shootings as neither inevitable nor normal on X, and Giffords expressed support for families waiting to learn that their relatives were safe. The Gun Violence Archive has counted more than 350 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, using a threshold of four or more people killed or wounded, not counting the shooter. According to La Razón, a shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, 10 October, killed eight people, two of them children. The 2022 massacre at Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two adults were killed, is also frequently cited in coverage of this attack, according to 20minutes. The same outlet reported that nearly 15,000 people were killed by gunfire in the United States in 2025, excluding suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

What remains open

Authorities have yet to set out the final death toll or the circumstances in which the gunman was shot. Until police confirm the figures, the casualty numbers in circulation will continue to differ between outlets.