What We Know About the Deadly Shooting at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon

A teacher and three children were killed Thursday in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, according to NBC News. Two other people, a 7-year-old and another teacher, were critically injured. The suspect, described as a 16-year-old Bend resident, was shot and killed by a good Samaritan who pursued him, authorities said.

Parents who rushed to the scene described hours of waiting with few updates. Here is what is known so far.

What happened at Silver Rail Elementary?

The shooting occurred around 1 p.m. PT, NBC News reported. A suspected teenage gunman with a long gun got into the school by firing through its locked doors.

The three children killed were ages 5, 8 and 11. A teacher also died. The names of those killed and injured have not been released.

How did the suspect die?

Authorities said the suspect, a 16-year-old Bend resident, was shot and killed by a good Samaritan who chased him. Officials have not described that person further in NBC's reporting.

Justin Penfield, a parent who went to the school, gave NBC News a secondhand account from a man he met outside. Penfield said the man stood next to a pickup truck with seven or eight bullet holes. According to Penfield, the man said he was driving back from lunch when he saw someone throw what looked like a shotgun over the school fence and then climb over it into the playground. The man told Penfield he shouted at the person because the behavior seemed odd, and the person turned and fired at his truck. He then drove away and called 911, Penfield said. NBC's report does not say whether this man is the good Samaritan authorities referred to.

What was it like for parents?

Jenn Johnston, whose son is in 5th grade at the school, told NBC News she first got an automated call and text about a lockdown. About 20 minutes later, her son texted her: “Mom there was a school shooting we’re ok tho.” She said she turned to social media and found the news spreading widely.

Johnston and her husband drove to the school, where parents were redirected to a nearby church. They waited for hours, she said, with little information from police or school officials. Children were bused from the school to the church and handed over to parents from the youngest grades to the oldest. Her son’s 5th-grade class was the last to be released, and he got off the bus at about 6 p.m., crying, and ran to her.

Penfield said he and his wife got a school notification, and a friend already at the school urged them to hurry. He described a heavy police presence and said he found his son’s kindergarten class already outside before walking him back to the car.

What has the city said?

Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler spoke at a vigil Thursday evening. She called it a dark day for the city and said there were “simply no words for the loss that we have suffered.”

Why does it matter?

For families of students at Silver Rail Elementary, the immediate effects were practical and personal. Children were moved off campus and reunited with parents in stages by age, which left some families waiting until evening. Parents said they got limited information while they waited.

The people killed and wounded have not been publicly identified, so families of those affected may still be waiting for official confirmation. The deaths of three children and a teacher, and the critical injuries to a 7-year-old and a second teacher, leave a community in mourning. The city gathered for a vigil within hours of the shooting.

Authorities have released only a limited account of the attack and the suspect’s death, so details may change as the investigation continues.

Source: NBC News