Three children and one adult were killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. The death toll was confirmed by multiple law enforcement sources to CBS News.
The suspect was 16 years old and was shot and killed by a civilian, the sources said. Police did not provide further details about him. At least two people were taken to St. Charles Medical Center.
Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said at a news conference that "children are among the victims." She said it was initially unclear how many people were injured and killed.
The reports came in within a minute
The first call to police was made shortly before 1:00 p.m. local time for a man shooting at a car. About a minute later, multiple 911 calls came in that the gunman had entered the school and started shooting.
Police arrived about three minutes after the calls and reported the suspect dead shortly after. Miller said it was still unclear who exactly shot him, suggesting it could have been a civilian.
Classrooms have been evacuated, and a heavy police presence remains in the area. A church was used as a meeting place for evacuees and their families.
All schools canceled
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oregon State Police were on the scene. Federal agencies were assisting local authorities.
The Bend-La Pine School District canceled classes and athletic events at all of its schools for Friday.
“We are shocked and devastated by this senseless tragedy,” said school district Superintendent Stephen Cook. He expressed his condolences to the families and said the immediate priorities were to care for students and staff and assist investigators and emergency responders.Bend is located in central Oregon, about 150 miles southeast of Portland. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were 235 school shootings in the United States last year. At least 149 such incidents have been reported since the beginning of the year until the Bend incident.
Sources: cbsnews.com