Three children and an adult were killed Thursday in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, and the suspected gunman is also dead. Federal law enforcement sources confirmed the four victims’ deaths to Fox News, and Bend police said they are investigating whether a bystander shot and killed the suspect inside the school.
Officers moved through the building room by room to evacuate students and staff while investigators worked to determine who killed the gunman. “We don’t have confirmation yet who shot the suspect. It may have been a bystander,” said Sheila Miller, communications manager for the Bend Police Department, during a news briefing.
Bend Fire medics transported at least two people to St. Charles hospital; their conditions were not immediately known. Silver Rail Elementary serves roughly 400 to 450 students and has more than 40 staff members, according to police, though it was not immediately clear how many were on campus at the time of the shooting.
Miller choked up describing the toll on the community. “This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend. It’s devastating,” she said.
How the shooting unfolded
Dispatchers received the first call at approximately 12:59 p.m. reporting a shot fired into a car. An alert went out to officers at 1 p.m., and police arrived at the scene around 1:02 p.m. Within seconds of officers arriving, word came over the radio that the suspect was down. Dispatchers fielded multiple 911 calls reporting an active shooter at the school during the response.
Hundreds of law enforcement personnel from agencies across Central Oregon responded, according to police, and the FBI’s Portland field office said agents were assisting local authorities at the scene. “We will make every resource they need available,” the office wrote on social media platform X.
Families were directed to Journey Church at 61303 S. Highway 97 for reunification, and authorities urged the public to stay away from the school area.
About the school
Silver Rail Elementary, part of the Bend-La Pine school district, serves kindergarten through fifth grade and is led by Principal Lybe Hawkins. School data show the campus enrolled 459 students with roughly 30 teaching staff during the 2024-2025 school year. No events were listed on the school’s public calendar for Thursday.
Reaction
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said the district was “stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy.”
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing. Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders.”
Bend police said in a statement, “We are thinking of the families and friends of Silver Rail Elementary and everyone in Bend and beyond who are affected by this terrible tragedy.”
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said she was closely monitoring the situation. “I am grateful to the first responders who are on the scene,” she wrote on X. “I will share as I learn more.”
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said he and his team were tracking reports of the shooting. “As details continue to come out, my heart is with the Bend community and all of the students and families affected,” he wrote on X. “No one should have to fear violence at school.”
Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., whose district includes Bend, called the shooting “every parent’s worst fear.”
“Our babies are supposed to do arts and crafts at school, not use their desks as cover from gunfire. My heart and my prayers and everything else I got is with the families at Silver Rail Elementary. When will it end?”
This is a developing story.
