This is the 74th time that parents have experienced the fear of not knowing what is happening to their children," AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement. This is the 74th time students, educators and school staff have felt the terror of not knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again. "This is the 74th time the safety of a school community has been shattered by a gunman. campus since the December 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., according to the American Federation of Teachers, the union representing staff at Reynolds High. Troutdale, east of Portland, is home to about 16,000 people. & amp amp amp amp lt !-iframe-& amp amp amp amp gt Please keep students, staff, the extended Reynolds community and first responders in your thoughts and prayers."Īgents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were headed to Reynolds High School to assist in the investigation, the ATF said on its Twitter feed. "Today Oregon hurts as we try to make sense of a senseless act of violence. "My heart is heavy after learning of this morning's tragic events at Reynolds High School," the statement said. Watch Video: Oregon school student: Shooter was in the gym John Kitzhaber issued a statement of condolence for the school community. "This has been a very unsettling day for our precious city," Daoud said. Troutdale Mayor Doug Daoud lauded police for their quick response. She said multiple police departments responded, including several SWAT teams. She could not confirm whether he was a student at the school. Sue Strickland, police records specialist for the Troutdale police, told USA TODAY the shooter was a male teen. "It just, like, happened so fast, you know?" he said. He said he was texting friends to make sure they were all OK. Now knowing everything's OK, I'm better," she said.įreshman Daniel DeLong, 15, said he saw a physical education teacher at the school with a bloodied shirt. Students said the gunfire sounded like fireworks, and some thought it was a drill.įreshman Morgan Rose, 15, said she hunkered down in a locker room with another student and two teachers. The students exited the building, hands over their heads, and gathered in a nearby parking lot for teary reunions with parents.Ĭounseling was being made available to the school community, Florence said. She said the students were "absolutely wonderful" at evacuating the building. "This is a very tragic day, one that I had hoped would never ever be part of my experience," she said. Superintendent Linda Florence said despite his injury, Rispler initiated lockdown procedures and likely saved many lives. Physical education teacher Todd Rispler, a former track coach and football star at the school, was treated at the scene after a bullet grazed one of his hips, he told KGW-TV. Anderson said that a second person was taken into custody but that the person was not involved in the shooting. "There will be several days of healing and ongoing attention given to the students and the staff," the police chief said.Īnderson confirmed a report that another person had a gun at the school. The identify of the shooter was withheld pending notification of his family. Police said the teen, who played soccer and was described as "a good kid," was shot in a locker room. Carey Kaer said.Ī family spokesman identified the gunman's victim as 14-year-old Emilio Hoffman, a freshman, KGW-TV reported. Teachers ran through the halls telling students to hide in classrooms.Ī camera-equipped robot found the teen shooter slumped on a toilet with what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound, police spokesman Sgt. Witnesses said the gunman fired several shots in the gymnasium before running into a bathroom. The school, the state's second-largest high school with 2,800 students, was locked down, and a room-by-room search was conducted. SWAT teams descended on Reynolds High School after receiving a report of a shooting, police Chief Scott Anderson said. The gunman was found dead a short time later in a bathroom stall, where he apparently killed himself, said police in the Portland suburb of Troutdale. Tragedy struck an Oregon high school Tuesday when a teen with a rifle killed another student and slightly wounded a teacher at the start of the second-to-last day of the year. Watch Video: Student victim identified in Oregon school shooting
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