3 Children and Teacher Killed in US School Shooting... Gunman Dead

Three children and a teacher were killed when a 16-year-old boy opened fire inside an elementary school in Oregon state in the northwest United States, according to police announcements. Authorities added that the perpetrator of the attack was also killed by gunfire from a passerby.

Another child and a teacher are receiving treatment for severe injuries resulting from the shooting that occurred at Silver Rail Elementary School in the city of Bend, which has a population of approximately 100,000 people.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told reporters that the first person to report the incident stated they had been fired upon multiple times by someone carrying a long gun.

He added that dozens of emergency calls followed, reporting an armed individual entering the school, prompting authorities to summon all security personnel in the area to the scene.

Krantz explained that police officers arrived at the school at 13:02 local time (20:02 GMT), minutes after receiving the reports.

He continued: "Moments later, one officer reported that the suspect was hit by gunfire from an individual who saw him enter the school, followed him into the building, and engaged him," adding: "Our officers entered the building and confirmed the death of the suspect."

The police chief said the three children who died at the scene were aged five, eight, and eleven years old, while a teacher was also declared dead in the incident.

According to Krantz, a seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment, noting that the shooter was a resident of Bend.

He emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages but said initial data indicates that "the shooter made his way into the school by firing on closed doors."

"An Unimaginable Tragedy"
A police spokesperson stated that between 400 and 450 children attend Silver Rail Elementary School, which employs more than 40 staff members.

After imposing a precautionary lockdown, local authorities announced that security forces began escorting students by bus to another location to allow them to reunite with their families.

Bend School District Superintendent Steve Cook described what happened as "an unimaginable tragedy."

He told reporters: "Our hearts are broken. We are shocked. This type of event we hear about in other places and pray never happens here."

Parents waited anxiously at a site near a church, where a father named Drew Sharp told CBS News: "I have faith that he is okay and that he will be fine."

He added that his son studies in the fifth grade, the highest grade in the school, and that students were getting off buses starting from the youngest to the oldest. He continued: "This makes sense, but it means more waiting."

The school is located approximately 270 kilometers southeast of Portland and welcomes elementary students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

"We Cannot Accept This"
The United States, where firearms can be easily obtained, witnesses repeated incidents of armed violence that kill thousands of people annually, recording the highest rate of gun-related deaths among developed nations.

The shooting at Virginia Tech University, which claimed 32 lives in April 2007, is considered the deadliest of its kind in US history.

Since the beginning of this year, the United States has witnessed more than 360 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive organization, which defines this type of incident as a shooting where four or more people are injured.

The Giffords organization concerned with gun safety posted on platform X: "Our hearts are with the frightened children and the families anxiously waiting to ensure the safety of their loved ones." It added: "We cannot continue to treat this as normal."

The shooting sparked renewed calls for stricter gun control, demands that recur after every similar incident without leading to substantive changes.

Despite decades of mass shootings, the pro-gun lobby in the United States has continued to support politicians, mostly conservatives, with millions of dollars to maintain current gun laws.

Oregon Representative Janelle Bynum said in a statement: "They are killing our children. They are tearing our children's bodies apart with bullets. And they are forcing us to live in fear."

She added to CNN network: "This keeps happening, and it seems like adults do not care."