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Four people, including three children, have died following a shooting at a primary school in the US state of Oregon.
The shooting occurred at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend on Thursday, prompting an emergency response from local police and other first responders.
Bend Police Department Chief Mike Krantz said officers received dozens of emergency calls reporting that a suspect armed with a long gun had entered the school building.
At approximately 1.02pm local time (9.02pm UK time), emergency responders discovered that the suspect had been shot and killed by a member of the public who had pursued the individual into the school.
Following the incident, police confirmed that four people had died. The victims included a teacher and three children aged five, eight and 11.
Another teacher and a seven-year-old child were injured and taken to hospital for treatment, Chief Krantz said. He also confirmed that the suspect was 16 years old.
Speaking alongside the police chief at a news conference, the local school superintendent announced that classes, school activities and sporting events throughout the area had been cancelled for Friday as the community responded to the tragedy.
Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler expressed her sorrow over the incident, stressing that schools should be places where children and staff feel safe.
"A school should be a safe place ... what happened today should never happen," she said, while also announcing plans for a community vigil to allow residents to come together and remember those who had died.
Earlier, Bend Police Department spokesperson Sheila Miller told reporters that Silver Rail Elementary School provides education from kindergarten through fifth grade, serving children approximately five to 11 years old.
The school has around 450 pupils and 40 members of staff, according to Miller.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek also called for solidarity and support following what she described as a tragic event.
In a statement shared on Facebook, she urged people across the state to stand together and support one another, saying: "We must come together and support each other, neighbour to neighbour, Oregonian to Oregonian."
Speaking at the news conference, Kotek also praised the member of the public who shot the suspect during the incident.
Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that federal agents had arrived at the scene to assist local authorities with the investigation.
In a post on X, Patel said federal personnel were working alongside local law enforcement and pledged that the FBI would make all necessary resources available to support the investigation.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
