3 children, teacher killed in US school shooting; 16-year-old shooter found dead

The attacker was shot and killed inside the school, police said

At least five people are believed to have died following a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the case cited by AP.Bend police spokesperson Sheila Miller earlier confirmed that the suspect was dead, but it was not immediately clear whether the suspect was among the five reported dead. Miller also said multiple victims were children.“We don't have a number at this point. We know children are among the victims,” Miller said during a media briefing.Police received a 911 call at 12.59pm reporting that an unknown man had fired a shot into a car outside the school.

Within minutes, further emergency calls reported that a person had entered the school and started shooting.The attacker was shot and killed inside the school, police said. However, it was not immediately clear who had shot the suspect. Sheila Miller, spokesperson for the Bend Police Department, said it “may have been a bystander”.Police arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the initial call and began evacuating people from the school.

“We’re in the process at this time of going room by room and evacuating each of the people who are in that school. ... This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend. It’s devastating,” Miller said, pausing to control her emotions.Silver Rail Elementary School was placed under lockdown, while the Bend-La Pine school district established a reunification point for families to collect their children.“We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy,” Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said in a statement. “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.”The school, which serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade, had 459 enrolled students as of last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education.