‘Multiple victims’ in Oregon primary school mass shooting

A shooting has left four people dead and others injured at an elementary school in the northwestern US state of Oregon, local police said on Thursday. 

US media reported the multiple deaths and added that children are among the casualties. 

Sheila Miller, a spokesperson at the Bend Police Department, said the shooter was shot dead at the scene and there was no further danger to the public. 

She added: “We don’t have confirmation yet who shot the suspect. It may have been a bystander. At this time, we have multiple victims. 

The Bend-La Pine School District said in a statement on social media that the Silver Rail Elementary School was under lockdown. 

An updated post later said law enforcement was escorting students in buses to a separate location, where families could reunite with their children. 

Miller said that officers were alerted to respond to a critical scene at 1pm local time, and that police were on the scene approximately two minutes later. 

She said: “Seconds later, we received word over the radio that the suspect in this incident was down.” 

Miller said medics had taken at least two people to a local hospital, adding that “we do not know their status”. 

The school is more than 160km southeast of Portland. It serves primary-age students in kindergarten through Fifth Grade. 

The Washington Post reported Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook as saying he was “stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy”. 

He said: “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. 

“Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders.” 

The United States, where firearms are readily available, is a frequent scene of gun violence, and school shootings are tragically regular. 

The deadliest school shooting in US history took place at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, when South Korean student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded 17 others before taking his own life. 

There have been more than 360 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot 

- AFP