A 16-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children aged five, eight and 11 and a teacher before being shot dead by a community member, officials said.
A 16-year-old shooter opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher before he was shot dead by a community member, according to officials.
The children killed were five, eight and 11 years old. The gunman, a Bend resident, has not been publicly identified.
In the aftermath of the attack, children were taken by bus to a nearby church serving as a reunification center for families. Parents hugged, kissed and held their children's hands as they walked to their cars, with some bringing along favorite stuffed animals or other comfort items from home.
Trump renews attack on Zelenskyy
Separately, Donald Trump called Ukraine's latest strikes on Russian oil refineries a "disgrace" and renewed his criticism of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after an energy ceasefire announced by the US president collapsed.
"All he's doing is making the world oil price higher. Well, I think that's a disgrace. I think I find Zelenskyy to be more difficult to deal with than Putin," Trump said.
The comments come amid growing doubts about long-term US commitment to Ukraine.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- An attack on an elementary school targets the youngest students and grieves a community at its most vulnerable point.
- The shooter's age of 16 will focus attention on how a teenager obtained a firearm and gained access to a school.
- The shooting is likely to reignite the recurring US debate over gun access and school security.
Background
School shootings have been a recurring tragedy in the United States for more than two decades. Attacks at elementary schools, where the victims are children, have historically provoked the strongest public and political reaction, though federal legislative responses have been limited and inconsistent. State-level policies on firearms and school security vary widely across the country, and the politics of the issue remain sharply divided.
Key Perspectives
Local officials and law enforcement: The immediate priorities are confirming casualties, identifying the shooter, understanding how the attack unfolded and supporting families through the reunification process.
Gun safety advocates: Campaigners typically argue that each attack is further evidence that access to firearms, particularly for young people, needs to be restricted through measures such as age limits and background checks.
Gun rights supporters: Opponents of new restrictions generally respond that hardening school buildings and improving mental health support, rather than additional gun laws, are the more effective ways to prevent such tragedies.
What to Watch
- Whether authorities publicly identify the shooter and establish a motive.
- How the gunman obtained his weapon and gained entry to the school.
- Whether the shooting prompts any legislative response in Oregon or Washington, and whether the collapsed energy ceasefire can be restored.