Shooter kills at least 4 people in US school

A 16-year-old gunman opened fire this Thursday (15) at a school in Bend, in the US state of Oregon, killing four people, including three children. He was killed by a resident of the community who had chased him into the school, police reported.

The gunman entered Silver Rail Elementary School by shooting at the locked doors, police said, without providing details other than the suspect's age.

The victims are children aged 5, 8 and 11 and a teacher. Additionally, a 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said at a news conference.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, who participated in the press conference, thanked the community member who “heroically intervened to prevent further loss of life.”

"No parent should have to go through a day like this, and no community should have to experience this. And as we learn more about the children and adults who were killed or injured, and about their families and loved ones, we will cry a lot, we will cry together, and we will probably cry in private," Kotek said.

Krantz said the community member, whose identity he did not reveal, saw the suspect enter the school and chased him.

School shootings have become a recurring phenomenon in American life, including high-profile attacks such as those at Columbine High School in 1999, Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022.

Each shooting reignites debates over gun laws in a country where the right to carry is protected by the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Defenders of the right to bear arms have suggested arming teachers as a form of defense.

Krantz said all Bend police officers went through a full day of training on how to deal with active shooters in August.

“Unfortunately, this is something we train for regularly, and we need to do it,” Krantz said. “This will be a long investigation.”