Oregon school shooting: four killed, gunman shot deadWorld

The gunman was fatally shot by a community member before police arrived. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, a father of two children at the school, saw the teenager entering the building, followed him inside and engaged him in a short gun battle. Moments earlier, a teacher had thrown her phone at the gunman and then tackled and fought him, likely saving lives; Krantz called her actions heroic and said she was not injured. US President Donald Trump later called Giamanco a “great hero”, saying a man with a gun who knew how to use it had prevented further tragedy.

A prayer vigil organised by a dozen churches at Drake Park in Bend drew thousands on Friday evening as the community mourned the victims. All schools in the Bend-La Pine district were closed on Friday, with classes and extracurricular and athletic events cancelled. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised the first responders, school staff and the community member she said had stopped “further loss of life”. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting local authorities in the investigation. The shooting is the 28th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.

Silver Rail Elementary had 459 students in the 2024-2025 school year and opened in 2015, according to state education records. Police said every Bend police officer had completed a full day of active shooter training in August. The gunman’s mother spoke publicly outside her apartment, telling reporters she was deeply sorry and wished she could have done something. Police said they were still working to determine how the teenager obtained the shotgun, noting that under Oregon law a minor may possess a shotgun if it is provided by a parent or with a parent’s consent.