• The victims: Three children, aged 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher were killed in a shooting at the Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday. Another child and teacher were rushed to hospital with critical injuries.

• The shooter: The 16-year-old Bend resident was shot dead by a “community member” who pursued him into the school, Police Chief Mike Krantz said. The shooter’s motive is currently unclear.

• School shooting surge: This is the 36th shooting on K-12 school grounds across the United States this year, according to a CNN data analysis.

Members of the Bend community gathered in a local downtown park Thursday evening for a prayer vigil to support and grieve for those impacted by the school shooting.

A large crowd of mourners held candles and hugged one another as they listened to prayers, music and community leaders in an emotional vigil.

“As a country, we, we still lack the courage to do anything to try to prevent these things from occurring. And it’s going to happen again,” CNN’s Senior Law Enforcement Analyst Charles Ramsey said.

Police are investigating why a 16-year-old entered an elementary school in Bend, Oregon on Thursday with a long gun and began shooting, killing three children and one teacher.

Here’s a timeline of how the attack unfolded, according to Bend Police Department chief Mike Krantz: All students and staff were then transported to the Journey Church for reunification with families.

Scenes from outside of Silver Rail Elementary school on Thursday show emergency services and police responding to the school shooting, which left four people dead, including three children.

Every Bend police officer went through a full day of active threat training at a local high school in August, Bend Police Department chief Mike Krantz said Thursday.

The police chief said there will be a “large police presence” at the Silver Rail Elementary School “for the next several days.”“This is going to be a long investigation,” he added.

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook choked up as he expressed gratitude to staff members who “helped our students and protected our kids today.

Officials in Bend have described the shooting at an elementary school as an “unthinkable tragedy” that has had a “profound impact” on the community.

“We are heartbroken. We are horrified. This is the kind of thing you hear about in other places, and pray that it never happens here,” said Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook in an emotional press conference Thursday.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised the “quick thinking and courage” of Silver Rail Elementary School staff, parents and first responders, as well as the “heroic” community member who engaged the shooter.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said: “My heart is with the victims of today’s shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School and their loved ones now facing the consequences of another school shooting in America.”Rep. Janelle Bynum flew back to Bend after learning of the deadly shooting at an elementary school in her district.

Former Bend Mayor Jeff Eager described the shooting as “unimaginable.”Eager said the school was built in recent years, adding the school district has invested a lot in security.

“The most heartbreaking thing, as the details have surfaced, is that we have a child involved in the killing of other children,” Bynum told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

Three children, aged 5, 8 and 11, and one teacher were killed when a 16-year-old Bend, Oregon, resident entered an elementary school and started shooting, police said at a news conference Thursday evening.

Three children, aged 5, 8 and 11, and one teacher were killed when a 16-year-old entered an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, and started shooting, police said Thursday.

What happened: The first 911 call indicated an “unknown man had shot into a car,” moments before calls to police reported a person had entered the school and started shooting. The shooter, armed with a long gun, forced his way into the school by shooting at locked doors, but it’s unclear how far he made it into the building, said Chief Mike Krantz of Bend Police Department. A “community member” who saw the teenager entering Silver Rail Elementary School at about 1 p.m. followed him in before engaging him in gunfire, killing him before responding officers arrived, Krantz said.

What we know about the casualties: Police found five people dead at the scene, Krantz said. A 7-year-old child and another teacher were also injured and transferred to a hospital, according to officials.

What we know about the shooter: Police have not yet identified the shooter and it is not yet clear whether he had any connection to the school, what specific long gun was used, or how many rounds were fired. Police have not yet weighed in on a potential motive. The FBI is assisting in the investigation, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.