A 16-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher before he was shot by a person at the scene who pursued him into the school, according to the chief of police.
The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to the hospital in critical condition, authorities say.
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Police said they did not know if the shooter, a Bend resident, knew anyone at the school or whether he had attended.
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Five-year-old Rhoam Summer liked for all of his sea creature stuffed animals to be in his favorite color: rainbow, his aunt said.
“He never met a stuffie that he didn’t think needed to be rescued and cared for,” said Swan Sheridan, whose sister is Rhoam’s mother.
“He had a great fondness for sharks and dinosaurs and creatures that were in his words, ‘misunderstood,’” she said.
He was also a fast runner and a fearless climber, his aunt said.
Sheridan said her nephew would climb and jump off anything and was an “incredibly fast” runner, even from a young age. “He was a little ball of energy from the moment he was born,” she said.
“He was a very, very happy child,” she said.
A wounded teacher was identified by family as Becky Drury. Her mother-in-law, Yvonne Drury, said on Facebook that she underwent surgery and had injuries to her left arm and right hand.
Some 911 calls came from inside the school, and officers arrived within minutes, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.
The attacker was shot and went down inside the school shortly after officers arrived, she said.
The school has students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with about 450 enrolled last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education.
Children were taken by bus to a nearby church serving as a reunification center for families. Parents hugged, kissed and held their childrens’ hands as they walked to their cars, with some bringing along favorite stuffed animals or other comfort items from home.
The man who shot the school shooter in Bend, Oregon has been identified by his mother.
Kenda Freeman said Kaylub Giamanco is a lifelong Bend resident and a father with two young daughters at Silver Rail Elementary School.
“He is not seeking recognition, but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel and community for the outpouring of love and support,” she said, reading from a prepared statement to reporters outside her son’s residence near the school.
Freeman said the family is asking for privacy “during this difficult time” and is not giving interviews.
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House he had been briefed on the shooting and praised the actions of a “great hero” who he said “took care of business.”
“It’s a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it,” Trump said, saying the tragedy otherwise likely would have been much worse.
The 16-year-old suspect, identified only as a Bend resident, was found dead inside the school minutes after the first calls for help, Police Chief Mike Krantz said. Police said he got into the school by shooting through locked doors.
The attacker used a pump-action shotgun that was purchased by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.
Under Oregon law, a minor may possess a shotgun if provided by a parent or by someone else with the parent’s consent.
Police said they didn’t know if the shooter knew anyone at the school or if he had attended it.
—- By Haven Daley, Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker
Brooke Olsen’s daughter is a kindergartener at Silver Rail.
“I think it’s miraculous that someone was there before law enforcement even arrived to stop further tragedy from happening,” Olsen said Friday, weeping at times. “I’m feeling very grateful.”
Officials plan to hold a news conference at 2 p.m. PDT Friday at the Bend Municipal Court about the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary. They say they will provide the latest information and share resources that are available for community members.
That’s according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. See the database.
The attacker used a pump-action shotgun that was purchased by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.
A 16-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher. He was then shot by a person at the scene who followed him inside, authorities said.
The suspect was found dead inside the school minutes after the shooting was first reported, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said.
The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to the hospital in critical condition, he said.
The first 911 call came just before 1 p.m. from a person in a vehicle outside Silver Rail Elementary who reported being shot at by someone with a long gun, Krantz told reporters. Further 911 calls came from inside the school, and officers arrived on scene within minutes, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.
The attacker, who police identified as a Bend resident, was shot and went down inside the school shortly after officers arrived, she said.
