‘Heroic’ bystander intervened to stop elementary school shooter who killed four
A bystander intervened ‘heroically’ to pursue and shoot dead a suspect believed to have killed four people at an elementary school in Oregon, saving the lives of others.
The mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon killed three children and a teacher.
A member of the public stopped the shooter, who has been described as a 16-year-old.
Oregon governor Tina Kotek shared further details about the bystander during a press conference held in Bend.
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Kotek said the person ‘heroically intervened to stop further loss of life’.
She then addressed the individual directly, declaring: “Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well.”
The shooter is now dead, Mike Krantz, Chief of the Bend Police Department, confirmed.
“The suspect had been shot by a community member who had seen the suspect enter the school and pursued him,” he revealed during the press conference.
Krantz described the shooter forcing entry into the school ‘by shooting at locked doors’. He did not confirm how far into the school the shooter went inside.
After an initial 911 call at 12.59pm, the Bend Police Department received ‘dozens’ of calls about the shooting.
Officers arrived at 1.02pm where they found five injured people, including the suspect, three children and a teacher. Each person died of their injuries.
The students were aged five, eight and 11. The age of the teacher has not been confirmed.
A seven-year-old was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries, along with a 54-year-old teacher who also sustained critical injuries.
The first 911 call described ‘an unknown man firing into a car’, CNN reports, before several calls were received telling police an individual had entered the school and opened fire.
The school was placed on lockdown, and a reunification point was established for families. Police have not yet released the identity of the suspect.
One witness, Caleb Weis, who spoke to ABC News recalled the heavy police presence in the area.
"Every first responder I've ever seen, all the agencies, you've got county sheriff, the city police, and the state police all simultaneously responding," he shared.
"It almost looked automatic. Everywhere they were staging, everything they were doing seemed like they were very highly trained."
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said in a statement: “We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing.”
Kotek wrote on her Facebook page she is 'closely monitoring the situation at Silver Rail Elementary'.
"I am grateful to the first responders who are on the scene. I will share as I learn more," she wrote.
Greg Harris