3 children, 1 teacher killed in school shooting

Three children and a teacher were killed when a teenager entered an elementary school in Bend, Oregon on Thursday afternoon and started shooting.

The children who died were aged 5, 8 and 11, while a 7-year-old and a second teacher were injured.

Police said two victims were transported to hospital, but there was no knowledge of their condition.

Reports say a member of the community, possibly a parent, saw the 16-year-old boy enter Silver Rail Elementary School and followed him in, then engaged in gunfire with the teen, allegedly killing him before police arrived and locked down the school.

No identities had been released as of Thursday evening, though the teen was also believed to be from the community.

"We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy," Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said in a statement. "We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing."

The school, which has about 450 students in kindergarten to Grade 5, will be closed on Friday, and any athletic events cancelled. Bend, a city of about 100,000 people, is 280 kilometers southeast of Portland.

Police initially responded after receiving calls of a man shooting into a car, followed shortly after by calls about an active shooter in the school who had blasted his way in through a locked door.

"No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing," Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said in a statement. "Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders."

FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau would make any needed resources available.

"No community should have to live through this day," Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said in a statement. "As we learn more about the tragic event at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend today, we must come together and support each other, neighbor to neighbor, Oregonian to Oregonian."

CNN reported that it was the 36th shooting at a K-12 school so far this year.