A teenage gunman who killed three children and a teacher at an Oregon elementary school reportedly shot through a secured entrance designed to protect students from attackers before a heroic bystander—rumored to be a student’s father—stopped him.
The 16-year-old suspect, whose identity has not been released, was carrying a long gun when he reportedly fired at the locks on the “secure vestibules” at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend shortly before 1 p.m. PT on Thursday, according to The Oregonian.
The vestibules are designed to let visitors enter a locked porch area before a second electronic door opens into the school following a security screening.
However, the security system was breached when the gunman shot his way into the school’s special education area. Three children, aged five, eight and 11, and a teacher were killed. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also taken to hospital in critical condition.
Fifth-grade teacher Kathy Sheil Smith recalled seeing the unidentified gunman approach the school grounds.
In an emotional interview with KPTV on Thursday, Smith said the teenager was carrying a long gun. She immediately called the main office to report what she was seeing, then moved her students into a corner of the classroom.
“They were so afraid—the looks on their faces,” she said. “It was really hard to see. I was just trying to calm them down.”
“Some kids were praying, some kids were consoling other kids, but doing so quietly because they know you don’t make any noise.”
Smith and her students were ultimately spared after a Good Samaritan confronted the teenager inside the building and shot him dead shortly after the attack began.
Dispatch audio indicated that the bystander may have been the father of a student. Several news outlets reported hearing the message: “It looks like the shooter has been neutralized, possibly shot by a father at the school.”
Kathy Sheil Smith told KPTV how she spotted the unidentified gunman approaching the school grounds
Two young women attend a vigil for the victims of the Silver Rail Elementary School shooting in Oregon on Thursday night as two people beside them embrace
Children attend a Thursday night vigil for the victims of the shooting at Silver Lake Elementary School in Bend, Oregon
By Friday morning, key details remained unclear. Authorities had not released the shooter’s identity or a possible motive, and it was not known whether he had previously attended the school.
The names of the victims and injured survivors had also not been made public. Officials had not identified the bystander who killed the attacker and may have prevented an even greater loss of life.
The Good Samaritan was reportedly sitting in a red Toyota Tacoma outside the school when he saw the teenager approaching the Silver Rail building with a gun.
After confronting the teenager, the driver came under fire as the gunman shot repeatedly at the truck.
A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press that the teenager used a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother.
Images shared online showed three bullet holes along the lower portion of the Toyota’s passenger-side door, with two more near the front edge. Two additional rounds appeared to have chipped paint from the bottom of the truck’s bed.
The rear passenger-side window was also completely shattered, with no visible glass remaining.
After opening fire on the truck, the assailant allegedly threw his gun over the school fence and hopped over – prompting the driver to call Deschutes County dispatchers at around 12.59pm.
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As Bend police officers then raced to the scene, the gunman shot at the school’s locked doors.
It is unclear how far into the building before being killed.
The identities of those killed and injured have not been disclosed, nor has the identity of the hero gunman who killed the shooter
The teenager was holding on to the firearm when a man in a pickup idling outside noticed he was heading towards the school, personnel are seen here working the scene on Thursday
A woman lights a candle during a candlelight vigil at Drake Park for victims of the Silver Rail Elementary School shooting
Families are seen at a reunification center after Thursday’s shooting at Silver Lake Elementary School, which saw a 16-year-old gunman kill three young children and a teacher before being shot dead
A woman grieves at a candlelight memorial out front of Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday evening
Floral tributes are seen outside Silver Lake Elementary School in Oregon Thursday evening, after a shooting that killed three young students and a teacher
Cops arrived at the scene by 1.02pm but just moments later they were informed that the lone gunman was shot and killed by an unidentified community member who had followed the teenager into the building.
When officers then entered the building, they were able to confirm that the suspect was dead.
Out of an abundance of precaution, the police officers who rushed to the scene went room by room to evacuate the building as they worked to confirm there were no additional threats to the community.
Other police officers clad in bullet-proof vests and carrying assault rifles were seen peering into the vehicles parked at the school’s lot, while parents, teachers and children huddled together, embracing and wiping tears from their faces.
Families are seen here leaving a meeting area set up outside the school following the events of Thursday
A motive for the shooting remains unclear, authorities would not confirm whether the suspect knew anybody at the school or if he had attended it when he was younger
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Dr Steven Cook held back tears as he thanked emergency responders and the school’s staff for their efforts to protect students during the attack.
‘Today, an unthinkable tragedy happened at Silver Rail Elementary School,’ he began.
‘We are heartbroken. We are horrified. This is the kind of thing you hear about in other places and pray that it never happens here… today it happened to our children, our teachers and our families.’
A vigil for those killed and injured was held in Downtown Bend Thursday. The Central Oregon city of 120,000 people has been voted one of the best places to live in the United States.
It is a popular destination for outdoor pursuits and offers incredible skiing and hikes in the nearby Cascades mountain range, as well as Smith Rock State Park.
The school district has now canceled all classes, activities and athletic events that were scheduled for Friday.
