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What is known about the shooting in Oregon
Another school shooting in the United States, in which three children and a teacher were killed before the 16-year-old attacker was shot dead by a passer-by. It took place at Silver Rail School in Bend, a town with a population of 100,000.
A woman standing in front of the Silver Rail School in Bend (GettyImages)
The attack began at around 1 pm, when a member of the public called the police to report that several shots had been fired at their car. Shortly afterwards, the police received emergency calls reporting that the suspect, a 16-year-old boy armed with a rifle, had entered the school. The boy, whose connection to the school in question is unknown, killed three children, aged 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher. Another 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher are in critical condition. A person who was outside the school complex, identified as a member of the local community, witnessed the scene and gave chase to the attacker, shooting him dead. The man who stopped the massacre was described by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek as ‘a hero’. Authorities have stated that they will not release any information on the specific type of weapon used by the attacker or how many shots he fired while the investigation continues.
The community, shaken by the incident, immediately organised a vigil: hundreds gathered in the town’s park to commemorate the victims. Gun laws in Oregon – a state where the Democrats control both the legislature and the executive – are more restrictive than those in other parts of the country, and the non-profit organisation Everytown, which focuses on gun safety, ranks it twelfth out of fifty for the effectiveness of its laws in preventing this type of incident. Bump stocks – accessories fitted to semi-automatic rifles to increase the rate of fire – are banned, as are modifications generally designed to increase a weapon’s firing capacity; furthermore, the state has also passed laws to try to curb the phenomenon of ‘ghost guns’ manufactured using 3D printers. Further restrictions, approved by referendum in 2022, ban high-capacity magazines and impose stricter rules on sales; however, these have never come into force pending a ruling by the State Supreme Court.
The minimum age for purchasing a rifle is 18: the attacker was 16. He could still have owned it legally if it had been transferred to him by a parent or guardian, but it is not yet known whether this was the case.