Authorities on Oct. 16 are investigating a deadly shooting at an Oregon elementary school, after police say a teenage suspect killed three children and a teacher before being fatally shot by a bystander.
The shooting broke out at Silver Rail Elementary School around 1 p.m. before it was stopped by a community member who had followed the gunman into the building, said Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz. The suspect, a 16-year-old who police say shot his way through locked doors, was dead by the time police arrived.
At the scene, authorities found a 54-year-old teacher and three children, aged 5, 8 and 11, dead, according to Krantz. A 7-year-old child and another teacher were rushed to the hospital with critical injuries.
Authorities have not released
the name of the suspect or the victims who died, and the motive for the attack remains unknown. At a news conference, officials praised the first responders and the bystander who stopped the shooting.
"My heart is absolutely broken today, and our hearts will stay broken in the days and weeks ahead," Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said. She said the bystander's actions prevented "further loss of life."
The shooting is the 28th mass killing of the year in the United States, of which 21 are shootings, according to James Alan Fox of the Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killing Database.
Thousands in Bend, Oregon, attended a vigil held hours after the shooting, where church leaders and officials spoke of the shock and pain gripping the community. Meanwhile, the local school district canceled classes and all extracurricular and athletic events for Oct. 16.
How did the shooting at Bend Elementary School unfold?
Authorities say the first 911 call came in at 12:59 p.m. and reported that someone had shot into a car near the school. At 1 p.m., dispatchers alerted officers to respond to a critical incident, Krantz said. Police arrived by 1:02 p.m. and dozens of emergency calls followed.
Krantz said the shooter had a "long gun" and shot his way into the school through locked doors. A bystander who saw the suspect enter the school followed the attacker inside, where he shot and killed the gunman, Krantz said.
Authorities have not publicly identified the bystander, who many have called a hero.
The police chief did not describe the shooter's long gun or how the suspect obtained it. Oregon has passed a series of laws restricting firearms in recent years and ranks 12 in the country for gun laws, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a prominent gun violence prevention group.
Contributing: James Powel and Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY; Dianne Lugo and Anastasia Mason, Salem Statesman Journal; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 4 killed in Oregon elementary school shooting. Latest updates
