Oregon Elementary School Shooting Reportedly Kills 3 Children and 1 Adult as Suspect Is Found Dead

Authorities believe at least five people were killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, two law-enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The officials said the death toll was preliminary and could change.

Bend police separately confirmed that the suspected shooter was dead and that children were among multiple victims. At least two people were taken to hospital, but their conditions were not immediately available. It was unclear whether the preliminary death toll reported by AP included the suspect.

Police Describe First Calls and Response

The first emergency call came at about 12.59pm local time on 15 October and reported a shot fired into a vehicle outside the school, Bend police spokesperson Sheila Miller said. Further calls reported that someone had entered the building and begun shooting.

Officers arrived at about 1.02pm, roughly three minutes after the first call. Police said the suspected shooter was shot and killed inside the school, but Miller said she did not know whether an officer or a bystander had fired the fatal shot.

Police had not released the suspect's identity or a possible motive in the accounts available for this report.

Officers searched the school room by room and evacuated the campus as emergency personnel worked to secure the building and account for students and staff. Students were moved away from the school while authorities organised a separate location for families to collect them.

Bend police, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Redmond police and Bend Fire & Rescue were among the agencies involved in the emergency response. The FBI was also assisting the investigation, according to published reports.

Preliminary Death Toll Remains Unconfirmed

The casualty reports developed as authorities responded to the shooting. Police initially confirmed multiple victims, including children, and at least two people being taken to hospital.

KPTV subsequently reported that CNN, citing law-enforcement sources, said three children and one adult had been killed. It was unclear whether that figure included the suspected shooter.

AP later reported that authorities believed at least five people were dead, citing two law-enforcement officials with knowledge of the case. The officials described that figure as preliminary.

The available accounts did not establish a confirmed breakdown of those killed and injured. The different figures could not immediately be reconciled with the police department's public statements.

Families Directed to Church Reunification Site

Police designated Journey Church, at 61303 South Highway 97, as the reunification site for students and their families.

Students were transported from the school, including by bus, while authorities coordinated their reunion with parents and guardians. Families were directed to the church rather than the campus, where emergency crews were still working.

Police also urged the public to avoid the school area, leaving access clear for emergency vehicles and officers carrying out searches.

The reunification arrangements formed part of the wider response as authorities worked to account for those who had been inside the school and move students away from the scene.

Silver Rail Elementary is part of the Bend-La Pine School District in central Oregon.

School District 'Stunned and Heartbroken'

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said the district's immediate priorities were caring for students and staff and assisting emergency responders.

'We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy,' Cook said in a statement reported by KPTV.

The investigation remained ongoing, with the circumstances of the attack, the suspect's motive and who fired the fatal shot still unresolved in the publicly available accounts. The reported death toll remained preliminary.