Oregon School Shooting: Three Children and Teacher Killed at Silver Rail Elementary A 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, before a bystander shot him dead. The shooter breached secure vestibules. A 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon before being shot dead by a bystander, according to authorities. The shooting occurred shortly before 1pm PT when the teenager used a long gun to shoot out the locks of secure vestibules at the school. The victims were children aged five, eight and 11, as well as a teacher. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also rushed to hospital in critical condition. The as-yet-unidentified shooter was carrying a long gun that he used to breach the school's secure entry system. The secure vestibules are designed to grant visitors access to a locked porch area, with a second electronic door opening into the school only after screening. However, the shooter easily overcame this system by shooting his way into the special education area of the school.Security Breach Fails to Stop Oregon GunmanThe security breach has raised questions about the effectiveness of such measures. The shooter, who was armed with a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting, managed to enter the building despite the locked doors. It is unclear how far into the building he got before being killed.Fifth-grade teacher Kathy Sheil Smith recounted spotting the gunman approaching the grounds. Through tears, she described to KPTV how he was clutching a long gun. She frantically called the school's main office to alert them before shepherding the children to a corner of the room. She said the children were very afraid and that some were praying, while others consoled each other quietly.Hero Bystander Neutralizes School ShooterSmith and her students were ultimately rescued by a good Samaritan who spotted the teenager and followed him into the building, shooting him dead shortly after he began his rampage. Dispatch audio suggested the hero was the father of a student at the school, with reports indicating that the shooter had been neutralized, possibly shot by a father at the school.One onlooker was sitting in his red Toyota Tacoma idling outside the school when he spotted the teen approaching with his gun. Concerned, the driver confronted the teen, who returned a series of shots at the vehicle. A second good Samaritan then confronted the shooter inside the school and killed him. Photos shared online showed the Toyota with three bullet holes lining the bottom of the passenger-side door and another two near the front of the door. Two more bullet holes chipped off the paint on the base of the truck's bed. The rear passenger-side window was also apparently left completely shattered.After opening fire on the truck, the assailant allegedly threw his gun over the school fence and hopped over, prompting the driver to call Deschutes County dispatchers at around 12.59pm. As Bend police officers raced to the scene, the gunman shot at the school's locked doors. Cops arrived at the scene by 1.02pm but just moments later were informed that the lone gunman was shot and killed by an unidentified community member who had followed the teenager into the building.Investigation Continues Into Bend School ShootingAs of Friday morning, multiple questions remain unanswered. The identity of the shooter and a possible motive have not been disclosed. It is unclear if he was a former student of the school. The identities of those killed and injured have not been disclosed, nor has the identity of the hero gunman who killed the shooter and likely halted a far worse massacre from unfolding.The community has been left reeling from the tragedy. Vigils were held Thursday night, with two young women attending a vigil for the victims at Silver Rail Elementary School, as two people beside them hugged one another. Children were seen attending a vigil for the victims at Silver Lake Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday night. A woman lit a candle during a candlelight vigil at Drake Park for victims of the Silver Rail Elementary School shooting. Families were seen at a reunification center after Thursday's shooting at Silver Lake Elementary School.Floral tributes were placed outside Silver Lake Elementary School in Oregon Thursday evening, after a shooting that killed three young students and a teacher. A woman grieved at a candlelight memorial out front of Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday evening.The shooting has shocked the Bend community and raised concerns about school safety. The secure vestibules were specifically designed to keep children safe from killers, but the gunman was able to shoot through them. The hero bystander's actions are being credited with preventing further loss of life.