# Children among multiple victims in shooting at Bend's Silver Rail Elementary; suspect dead

Bend police say a gunman entered the southeast Bend elementary school shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday and was shot and killed within seconds of officers arriving, possibly by a bystander. Police have not released the number of dead or injured.

By The Signal Edition | News / US & local
Published: 2026-10-15T22:26:59.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-15T22:26:59.000Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/bend-silver-rail-elementary-school-shooting-wheoyz
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/3106c6246a5fe330298ffefb106c3dc8.jpg (Aerial view of the Deschutes River winding through Bend, Oregon, in September 2026; credit: Everwest / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0))

## Summary
- Bend police say multiple people, including children, were victims of a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, Oct. 15.
- The suspect was shot and killed seconds after officers arrived at 1:02 p.m., possibly by a bystander, according to police.
- At least two people were taken to St. Charles Bend; police had not released their conditions or an official casualty count as of Thursday afternoon.
- CBS News, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, reported at least four people were killed; police have not confirmed any deaths.

## What police have confirmed

A gunman opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in southeast Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, and "children are among the victims," the Bend Police Department said in a statement released shortly after 3 p.m. Pacific time. "At this time, we have confirmed there are multiple victims. At least two people were transported to St. Charles Bend. Their status at this time is not known," police said. [1](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559) [2](https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/15/bend-school-active-shooter/) [4](https://katu.com/news/local/bend-police-responding-to-reported-active-shooter-situation-at-silver-rail-elementary)

Police said the first call came in at 12:59 p.m., reporting that an unknown man had fired into a car. Within the next minute, Deschutes County 911 dispatchers received multiple calls reporting that someone had entered the school and begun shooting. [1](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559) [3](https://bendbulletin.com/2026/10/15/reports-of-shooter-near-silver-rail-police-on-scene/) [4](https://katu.com/news/local/bend-police-responding-to-reported-active-shooter-situation-at-silver-rail-elementary)

Officers arrived at 1:02 p.m. "Seconds later, officers reported the suspect had been shot and killed, possibly by a bystander," the department said. Police spokesperson Sheila Miller told reporters it was not yet clear who shot the suspect, KPTV and CBS News reported. [1](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559) [5](https://www.kptv.com/2026/10/15/bend-police-respond-report-active-shooter-silver-rail-elementary-school/) [6](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/oregon-silver-rail-elementary-shooting-bend/)

## Unconfirmed reports of deaths

CBS News reported, citing multiple unnamed law enforcement sources, that at least four people were killed, three of them children and one an adult, and that the suspect was believed to be a teenager. Bend police had not confirmed any deaths, the suspect's identity or age, or a motive as of their latest update. The Signal Edition will update this article as officials release information. [6](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/oregon-silver-rail-elementary-shooting-bend/) [1](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559)

## Evacuation and reunification

Officers evacuated the school classroom by classroom, and Bend-La Pine Schools buses took students to Journey Church at 61303 S. Highway 97, where families were asked to reunite with their children, police said. "We're trying to make sure the kids are getting reunited with their families right now," school board member Marcus LeGrand told The Bulletin at the church. [1](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559) [3](https://bendbulletin.com/2026/10/15/reports-of-shooter-near-silver-rail-police-on-scene/) [2](https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/15/bend-school-active-shooter/)

Nearby Pine Ridge Elementary, R.E. Jewell Elementary and Caldera High School were placed on lockdown during the response, The Bulletin reported. Police said there will be a large law enforcement presence at the school and the church "for the foreseeable future" and asked the public to avoid the area. [3](https://bendbulletin.com/2026/10/15/reports-of-shooter-near-silver-rail-police-on-scene/) [1](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559)

## Statements and response

"We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy," Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said in a statement included in the police release. "Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders." [1](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559)

Oregon State Police and the FBI joined local agencies at the scene, OPB reported. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said his "heart goes out to the innocent victims of today's horrific shooting," according to KPTV. [2](https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/15/bend-school-active-shooter/) [5](https://www.kptv.com/2026/10/15/bend-police-respond-report-active-shooter-silver-rail-elementary-school/)

## About the school and what remains unknown

Silver Rail Elementary is a public kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school in southeast Bend, part of the Bend-La Pine Schools district. Bend police initially reported a large police presence and a report of an active shooter at about 1:17 p.m. before confirming the shooting in later updates. [7](https://silverrail.blschools.org/) [1](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559) [4](https://katu.com/news/local/bend-police-responding-to-reported-active-shooter-situation-at-silver-rail-elementary)

Officials have not released the number of people killed or injured, the victims' conditions, the identity of the suspect or who shot the suspect, or what weapon was used. A press conference was expected at Bend City Hall at 5:30 p.m. Pacific time, according to The Bulletin. [1](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559) [3](https://bendbulletin.com/2026/10/15/reports-of-shooter-near-silver-rail-police-on-scene/)

## Reporting sources
1. [Bend Police Department (FlashAlert): Active shooter incident at Silver Rail Elementary School](https://flashalert.net/id/BendPolice/191559) (2026-10-15T22:03:00Z)
2. [OPB: Shooting suspect at Bend elementary school dead, officials say](https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/15/bend-school-active-shooter/) (2026-10-15T22:09:46Z)
3. [The Bulletin: Shooter near Bend's Silver Rail Elementary School dead, police on scene](https://bendbulletin.com/2026/10/15/reports-of-shooter-near-silver-rail-police-on-scene/) (2026-10-15T22:21:56Z)
4. [KATU: Suspected Bend elementary school active shooter killed; Multiple victims reported](https://katu.com/news/local/bend-police-responding-to-reported-active-shooter-situation-at-silver-rail-elementary) (2026-10-15T22:12:42Z)
5. [KPTV: Children among injured in Bend elementary shooting; Suspect killed](https://www.kptv.com/2026/10/15/bend-police-respond-report-active-shooter-silver-rail-elementary-school/) (2026-10-15T22:17:16Z)
6. [CBS News: 3 children, 1 adult killed in shooting at Bend, Oregon, elementary school, sources say; suspect dead](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/oregon-silver-rail-elementary-shooting-bend/) (2026-10-15T22:23:00Z)
7. [Bend-La Pine Schools: Silver Rail Elementary School](https://silverrail.blschools.org/) (2026-10-15)