Three children and a teacher killed by 16-year-old at Oregon primary school

What the report says

BBC World News reported that three children and a teacher were killed during a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon. Police said the suspected gunman was a 16-year-old boy who forced his way into the school by firing at locked doors. According to Bend police, he was then pursued into the building by an armed community member and was shot dead before or soon after officers arrived.

The victims killed were children aged five, eight and 11, the report said. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to hospital in critical condition. Authorities have not said whether the teenager had any connection to the school, and they have not released his name while the investigation continues.

Local officials described the incident as a devastating tragedy. Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said the community was stunned and heartbroken. Police said the first emergency call came in around 12:59 local time, initially reporting shots fired into a vehicle, and a broader active-shooter response followed within minutes.

The shooting adds to continuing concern about gun violence in US schools, a recurring issue in American public life. As reported by BBC World News, investigators were still working to establish the circumstances around the attack and the suspect’s background.