3 children, 1 teacher killed in US 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 from kindergarten to Grade 5, will be closed on Friday, and all athletic events will be canceled. Bend, a city of about 100,000 people, is 280 kilometers southeast of Portland.

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

"No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing," Cook said in a statement.

Immediate priorities

"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.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, appearing at the same briefing, thanked the community member who "heroically intervened to stop further loss of life".

"No parent should have to have this kind of day, and no community should have to live through this kind of day. And as we learn more about the children and the adults who have been killed or injured, and their families and their loved ones, we are going to do a lot of crying, and we are going to cry together, and we're probably going to cry privately," Kotek said.

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

Each shooting revives debates over gun laws in a country where gun rights are protected under the Constitution's Second Amendment. Gun rights advocates have argued for arming teachers as a means of defense.

Gun control advocate Gabrielle Giffords, a former congresswoman who survived a mass shooting in 2011, said in a statement she was "heartbroken" by the shooting in Bend.

"This cannot continue to be a reality in our country. Leaders at every level must step up and act," Giffords said.

Agencies contributed to this story.