At least five people are believed dead after a shooting at an elementary school in the US state of Oregon on Tuesday. Two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case confirmed the preliminary death toll on the condition of anonymity, and warned that the numbers could change.
The incident unfolded at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, located more than 100 miles southeast of Portland. Bend police spokesperson Sheila Miller confirmed during a media briefing that the suspect is also dead, though it was unclear whether the perpetrator was counted among the five fatalities.
"We don’t have a number at this point. We know children are among the victims," Miller told reporters.
Emergency services received an initial report of a shot fired into a car outside the school at 12:59 p.m. Officers arrived at the scene within minutes as extra 911 calls came from inside the building. The attacker was shot and went down inside the school shortly after police arrived.
Authorities have not yet determined if the suspect was shot by police, a bystander, or inflicted the injury themselves. Representatives for the city and the police department did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The Bend-La Pine school district placed Silver Rail Elementary under lockdown via a statement on Facebook as police rushed to secure the facility. Officers began systematically clearing the building.
"We’re in the process at this time of going room by room and evacuating each of the people who are in that school," Miller said, pausing to control her emotions. "This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend. It’s devastating."
Silver Rail Elementary serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. State education department records show the school had 459 enrolled students as of last year.
