Multiple people, including children, were injured after gunfire erupted at an Oregon elementary school Thursday afternoon, and the shooter was found dead when officers arrived, police said.
Bend Police spokesperson Sheila Miller said the shooting occurred at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, around 1 p.m. Local time. When officers reached the campus, the shooter was already dead, Miller told reporters.
It remained unclear Thursday exactly who had killed the shooter. Miller said, “it may have been a bystander,” though authorities had not confirmed that account.
The school was placed on immediate lockdown as the situation unfolded. A reunification point was established nearby so families could locate their children and account for their safety, Miller said.
The number of injured victims and the extent of their wounds were not immediately released. Police confirmed only that multiple people were hurt and that children were among those injured.
The shooting triggered a large law enforcement response to the east Bend neighborhood. Officers secured the campus and began processing the scene as parents gathered at the designated reunification area awaiting word on their children.
Bend is a city of roughly 100,000 residents located in central Oregon, about 160 miles southeast of Portland. Silver Rail Elementary serves students in the rapidly growing community.
The incident added to the growing toll of school shootings across the United States in 2025. It came on a day when multiple communities nationwide were already on edge following recent violent incidents.
Miller did not provide details about the shooter’s identity, potential motive, or what type of weapon was used. She said the investigation remained active and more information would be released as it became available.
The Bend Police Department continued working Thursday evening to notify families and piece together the sequence of events that led to the violence. Counselors were expected to be made available to students, staff, and families affected by the trauma.
School district officials had not yet announced when Silver Rail Elementary would reopen. The lockdown was lifted once the campus was secured, though the building remained an active crime scene.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek addressed the shooting in a statement posted to social media, saying she was monitoring the situation and that state resources were available to assist local responders.
The shooting at Silver Rail Elementary unfolded as classes were in session on a routine Thursday afternoon. Students and staff had reportedly been conducting a normal school day before the sound of gunfire forced them into lockdown procedures.
Miller said the department would hold additional briefings as the investigation progressed. She urged anyone with information about the incident to contact Bend Police.
The number of victims and their conditions were expected to be updated once authorities completed notifications to family members. Hospitals in the Bend area had not publicly confirmed how many patients they were treating from the shooting.