SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Four people, including three children and a teacher, were killed and two others injured in a shooting on Thursday at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, police said. The 16-year-old gunman was also fatally shot.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told a news conference Thursday that the shooting occurred at around 1 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) at Silver Rail Elementary School.
The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were wounded and taken to a hospital in critical condition, Krantz said.
Police identified the gunman as a 16-year-old male resident of Bend.
According to police, the first emergency call reported a person firing shots at a vehicle outside the school. Additional calls followed, reporting that an armed individual had entered the school and opened fire.
A community member who witnessed the suspect entering the school pursued him into the building and fatally shot him, police said.
Authorities evacuated students and staff from the school and arranged for students to reunite with their families. The Bend-La Pine School District announced that all schools in the district would be closed Friday.
Police have not released the suspect's identity or established a motive for the attack. Investigators are also working to determine whether the gunman had any connection to the school.
An investigation is underway. ■
