Bend School Shooter Used Shotgun His Mother Bought, Law Enforcement Source Tells AP

Since Thursday, Oct. 15, when a 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, before a community member shot him dead, the first details about the weapon and the minutes before the school attack have started to come out.

The weapon

A law enforcement official briefed on the case, speaking anonymously, told the Associated Press the gun was a pump-action shotgun purchased by the shooter's mother. Police have not confirmed that on the record. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz did not discuss the weapon at Thursday's press conference.

What investigators have not said: whether the teen had his mother's permission to take the gun, how it was stored, or whether anyone has been or will be questioned about it. No charges have been announced.

Under Oregon law as summarized by the New York Post, a person must be 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun, and minors can possess long guns with parental consent. Whether consent existed here is unknown.

What happened before the doors

Police say the first 911 call came at 12:59 p.m. from a driver who reported being shot at multiple times by someone "with a long gun." The school went into lockdown at 1:01 p.m. Officers arrived a minute later and found the suspect dead along with the four victims, Krantz said.

The Bend Source reported more detail on that first call. According to its account, the driver of a red Toyota Tacoma spotted the teen near the school's parking lot just before 1 p.m. and confronted him. The teen allegedly fired at the truck, shattering the rear window and leaving at least six large holes in the vehicle.

The Bend Source also reported that the teen threw the gun over a fence, climbed over, picked it up again and fired at the locks to get inside. Krantz has said the shooter forced his way in by shooting at locked doors.

Police have not said how the gunman picked Silver Rail. They have not said whether he attended the school or knew anyone inside.

The victims

The dead children were 5, 8 and 11 years old, along with one teacher. A 7-year-old and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to St. Charles Bend in critical condition. The school enrolls more than 400 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Mindy Corely, the aunt of a fifth grader at the school, told NBC News her nephew called family from his cellphone and sounded "very, very scared." She said he was still waiting to be reunited with his parents.

A vigil was held Thursday evening for the victims.

The bystander

Krantz said a community member saw the teen enter the school, pursued him and engaged him. Police have not named the person. They have not said whether the bystander held a concealed handgun license, and they said they would likely release more information Friday.

Gov. Tina Kotek thanked the person at Thursday's press conference, saying the bystander "heroically intervened to stop further loss of life."

One detail is likely to draw attention. The Bend-La Pine school district banned firearms on district property, including by concealed-license holders, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported in 2022. A separate provision of state law allows lawfully possessed guns on school grounds if they are unloaded and locked in a vehicle. Authorities have not said how the bystander's gun fits into either rule, or whether it was relevant to his actions.

Political reaction

Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Democrat from Oregon, told CNN's Anderson Cooper: "The most heartbreaking thing, as the details have surfaced, is that we have a child involved in the killing of other children. Multiple families are being impacted. This continues to happen." Earlier she said, "our kids are getting shredded."

Christine Drazan, the Republican nominee for governor and a state senator, posted that her heart was with the affected families, students and teaching staff. Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said, "A school should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure."

FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau's Portland field office is assisting local investigators and that "we will make every resource they need available."

The count

CNN's analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week and Everytown for Gun Safety put Silver Rail as the 36th shooting on K-12 school grounds this year and the 52nd school shooting nationally. Those tallies come from groups that define "school shooting" differently, so the numbers vary by source.

What comes next

Krantz has warned the investigation will be long. The immediate items are the bystander's identity, expected from police Friday, and any word on the origin and storage of the shotgun. The two people hospitalized in critical condition remain a central unknown.

Police have still not publicly identified the shooter or offered a motive.