Sedikitnya 4 orang, termasuk 3 anak-anak, tewas dalam penembakan di sekolah dasar AS

At least four people have been killed, including three children, in a shooting at an elementary school in Oregon, part of the northwestern United States, according to statements from law enforcement to CBS and CNN.

The shooting on Thursday took place at Silver Rail Elementary school in the city of Bend, about 160km (100 miles) southeast of Portland.

Authorities have said the shooter is dead, though it is unclear whether he is among the four people included in the initial death toll.

“We’re in the process at this time of going room by room and evacuating each of the people who are in that school,” said Sheila Miller, the communications manager for the Bend Police Department on Thursday. “This is the kind of thing we never want to see happen in Bend. It’s devastating.”

Miller said authorities received a call about a shot fired into a car outside the school at 12:59pm local time (19:59 GMT) and arrived on scene within minutes.

The suspect was shot and killed shortly after, though Miller said she did not know whether police or a bystander had subdued the alleged assailant.

The number and condition of those injured were not immediately known.

Kash Patel, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said in a post on social media that the agency was on the scene assisting local law enforcement in the investigation.

“We will make every resource they need available,” he wrote.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek also said she was closely monitoring the situation.

Jeff Merkley, who represents Oregon in the US Senate, was among the political leaders to offer condolences in the wake of the shooting.

“My heart is with the Bend community and all of the students and families affected. No one should have to fear violence at school,” he wrote in a post on the social media platform X.

Setidaknya empat orang tewas, termasuk tiga anak-anak, dalam penembakan di sebuah sekolah dasar di Oregon, bagian dari Amerika Serikat barat laut, menurut pernyataan aparat penegak hukum kepada CBS dan CNN.

Penembakan pada Kamis itu terjadi di sekolah dasar Silver Rail di kota Bend, sekitar 160 km (100 mil) tenggara Portland.

Pihak berwenang mengatakan penembak sudah tewas, meski belum jelas apakah dia termasuk di antara empat orang dalam jumlah korban tewas awal.

"Kami sedang dalam proses saat ini untuk memeriksa ruangan demi ruangan dan mengevakuasi setiap orang yang berada di sekolah itu," kata Sheila Miller, manajer komunikasi Departemen Kepolisian Bend pada Kamis. "Ini adalah hal yang tidak pernah ingin kami lihat terjadi di Bend. Ini sangat menghancurkan."

Miller mengatakan pihak berwenang menerima panggilan tentang tembakan ke sebuah mobil di luar sekolah pada pukul 12.59 waktu setempat (19.59 GMT) dan tiba di lokasi dalam beberapa menit.

Tersangka ditembak dan tewas tak lama setelahnya, meski Miller mengatakan dia tidak tahu apakah polisi atau warga sekitar yang menaklukkan pelaku yang diduga sebagai penyerang itu.

Jumlah dan kondisi mereka yang terluka belum segera diketahui.

Kash Patel, direktur Biro Investigasi Federal (FBI), mengatakan dalam unggahan di media sosial bahwa lembaganya berada di lokasi untuk membantu aparat penegak hukum setempat dalam penyelidikan.

"Kami akan menyediakan setiap sumber daya yang mereka butuhkan," tulisnya.

Gubernur Oregon Tina Kotek juga mengatakan dia memantau situasi dengan saksama.

Jeff Merkley, yang mewakili Oregon di Senat AS, termasuk di antara para pemimpin politik yang menyampaikan belasungkawa setelah penembakan itu.

"Hati saya bersama komunitas Bend dan semua siswa serta keluarga yang terdampak. Tidak seorang pun seharusnya harus takut terhadap kekerasan di sekolah," tulisnya dalam unggahan di platform media sosial X.