16-Year-Old Kills 3 Pupils, Teacher In US Primary School
There was panic and tears in the United States on Thursday after a 16-year-old boy forced his way into a primary school in Oregon and opened fire, killing three pupils and a teacher before he was gunned down by a brave bystander.
According to BBC NEWS, the incident happened at Silver Rail Elementary School in the city of Bend, Oregon, at about 12:59 p.m. local time.
According to the Bend Police Chief, Mike Krantz, the suspect, whose name has been withheld, shot at the locked doors of the school to gain entrance.
He first fired at a car parked outside. Photos from the scene showed a red truck riddled with bullet holes.
Minutes later, he stormed into the school building.
Police said a community member who saw the attack unfolding chased the gunman inside the school and engaged him, shooting him dead before officers arrived.
“Three minutes later, officers first arrived at the scene. They confirmed that the attacker had been killed, and then searched the school,” police said.
The victims have been identified as three children aged 5, 8 and 11. A 7-year-old pupil and a 54-year-old teacher were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Police confirmed the attacker was a local teenager. It is still unclear if he had any link to the school.
Reacting to the tragedy, Steven Cook, head of the local school district, said: “We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing.”
Oregon State Governor, Tina Kotek, hailed the bystander who intervened.
“Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” she said.
A teacher, Kathy Sheil Smith, who was inside the school, told local media how she tried to keep the children calm.
“The looks on their faces was really hard to see. Some kids were praying, some kids were consoling other kids. I’m sure that every teacher at the school thought ‘Today is the day that I am going to die,'” she said.
The school, which has over 450 pupils and more than 40 staff, was immediately placed on lockdown. Pupils reportedly used their Apple watches to contact their parents.
All schools in Bend will remain closed on Friday to allow the community time to heal and mourn.
According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, the US recorded 235 school shooting incidents last year and at least 140 so far this year.
Police said they are yet to confirm the type of weapon used, though multiple reports say the suspect used a shotgun. In Oregon, a person under 18 cannot buy a firearm, though juveniles can possess one with parental permission for hunting and other approved uses.
