Lawmakers called for federal gun restrictions after an attacker killed four people at Silver Rail Elementary School. Investigators are tracing how the teenage shooter obtained the weapon.
Democratic lawmakers pressed for tighter gun laws Friday after a teenage shooter killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon.
In the attack, four people were killed at the elementary school before an armed bystander intervened and fatally shot the gunman inside the building. Two other victims, a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher, suffered critical injuries and were taken to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.
Calls in Congress for tighter gun laws
Fox News reported that several Democratic members of Congress responded to the shooting by demanding new firearm legislation. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden stated that passing federal gun laws was the best way to honor the victims and protect students and school staff. Representative Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon said violence in American schools must stop, arguing that children deserve to feel safe in the classroom.
Representative Janelle Bynum, whose congressional district includes Bend, spoke at a vigil for the victims. She questioned when officials would ensure that people who should not have firearms cannot access them, and she urged others to show the same courage displayed by the bystander who stopped the shooter. Outside Oregon, Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico stated that federal gun measures passed after the Uvalde shooting didn’t go far enough. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who backs universal background checks and red-flag measures, pointed to dozens of school shootings across the country. “Congress must do much more to prevent gun violence,” Warren wrote on social media.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Senator Jeff Merkley stopped short of demanding new legislation in their initial statements, though both condemned gun violence in schools. Kotek commended school staff, first responders, parents, and the bystander who stopped further loss of life.
How the shooting unfolded
According to NBC News, the attack began just before 1 p.m. local time on Thursday when Deschutes County dispatchers received a 911 call from a driver who said someone with a long gun had fired multiple times at their vehicle. Dozens of additional calls quickly followed, reporting an active shooter at Silver Rail Elementary School, which teaches 467 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said dispatchers issued an alert to all law enforcement officers at 1 p.m., and the school received directions to lock down a minute later. The gunman forced his way into the building by shooting through the locked exterior doors. Police officers arrived at 1:02 p.m., about three minutes after the initial call. When officers entered, they found that an armed community member had chased the teenager inside and fatally shot him.
Workers and parents near the school rushed to help or protect children as gunfire erupted. CBS News reported that Kayla Major was working steps away from the campus when employees locked the building doors. When she heard reports of an active shooter at the school behind her office, she ran over to find her son, who was unharmed. Another parent, Tyler Major, said his son didn’t realize people had died until after they reunited, and described watching another parent learn that their child had been shot.
Investigation into the weapon
Authorities identified the shooter as a 16-year-old Bend resident but didn’t publicly release his name or a motive for the attack. Investigators said they don’t yet know whether the teenager had any connection to the school or attended it in the past.
The weapon used in the attack was a shotgun purchased by the teenager’s mother, according to The Associated Press cited by Fox News. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives completed an urgent trace on the weapon on Thursday evening. Under Oregon state law, buyers must be at least 18 years old to purchase shotguns and rifles, and selling firearms to minors is illegal. Minors may legally possess non-handgun firearms only with parental permission, or temporarily for purposes like hunting or target shooting.
Federal and state agencies, including the FBI and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, are assisting Bend police. “This is going to be a long investigation,” Krantz said, noting that officers will maintain a heavy presence at the school for several days. The Bend-La Pine school district shut down classes, sports, and extracurricular events across all 32 of its campuses on Friday.
