Oregon School Shooting: Here's what we know about the 16-year-old male suspect

The Oregon police have identified the suspect as a 16-year-old local resident in the Thursday (October 15, 2026) school shooting in Bend that left at least four dead, according to news agency AP and AFP. The male shooter was found dead inside the school when police arrived, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said.

Three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, and a teacher were killed in the shooting, police said. Krantz said that a community member had pursued him into the school and shot him; multiple news outlets reported, including AP and CNN. Another child and teacher were taken to the hospital, Krantz said. There was also no clarity on whether the shooter had any connection to the school, as the investigation remains ongoing at the time of filing of this report.

According to CNN, the shooter was armed with a long gun. He forced his way into the school by shooting at locked doors. However, Krantz said that it was unclear how far he made it into the building. Initially authorities believed that at least five people are dead in the shooting, AP reported, citing two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case.


Earlier, the officials spoke to the news agency on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. Both had said that the death toll was preliminary and could change. Bend police spokesperson Sheila Miller earlier confirmed to AP that the suspect was dead. It wasn’t clear if the suspect was included among the five.

Miller also said multiple victims were children. The shooting incident emerged after authorities swiftly responded to a call about a shot fired into a car outside Silver Rail Elementary at 12:59 p.m.

Further 911 calls came from inside the school, she said. The attacker was shot and went down inside the school soon after police arrived, Miller said. It was not immediately clear if it was by police, a bystander, or self-inflicted. According to Miller, at least two people were rushed to St. Charles Bend Hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known.

“We’re in the process at this time of going room by room and evacuating each of the people who are in that school. ... This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend. It’s devastating,” Miller was quoted as saying by AP The school in Bend, Oregon is more than 100 miles southeast of Portland. The school serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade.