‘Multiple victims’ after gunman opens fire at Oregon elementary school: Shooter dead

A shooter is dead and at least two people, including children, have been taken to the hospital following a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon.

Officers were alerted around 1 p.m. local time after receiving a 12:59 p.m. report of a shooter firing into a car outside the facility, according to police. Emergency crews brought the injured to a local hospital. Within a minute of the initial call, law enforcement received multiple 911 reports of an active shooter inside the building.

Bend Police arrived at the scene by 1:02 p.m. — just two minutes after being notified that officers needed to respond to a critical scene — and the shooter was down seconds later. Officials noted that the gunman may have been shot by a bystander, though the suspect’s identity, total victim count and specific weapon used remain under investigation.

The incident prompted an immediate lockdown of the school while police vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances swarmed the grounds. Authorities are working on safely evacuating roughly 40 staff members and 450 children enrolled at Silver Rail Elementary to a designated reunification point at Journey Church.

“As you can imagine, the process of getting all of those people safely out of the building and down to Journey Church is a real challenge,” police told reporters during a news conference, asking for patience while officers thoroughly clear each section of the school. A large crowd of parents and community members gathered outside as the search and evacuation continued.

Federal authorities are also aiding local police with the response. FBI Director Kash Patel stated on social media that the bureau’s Portland field office is on the scene to support the investigation, adding that the agency “will make every resource they need available.”

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek similarly said she was “closely monitoring the situation at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend,” expressing gratitude for the first responders on site and promising further updates as more information becomes available.

The Bend Police Department is serving as the lead agency on the investigation.

This is a developing story. More to come...