10/16/2026
Today, children were among the victims of a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. Details are still emerging and our hearts are with the Bend community, everyone affected, and the first responders working to help them.
What we know is that children and others have been harmed in a place that should be among the safest in our community: an elementary school. When adults in positions of power fail to act, children are the ones who live with the consequences.
We don’t have to live like this. This violence is preventable, and our children deserve better.
To everyone in Bend waiting for news, we are thinking of you.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. Call or text 988 at any time to reach the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. Local resources are available through Deschutes County’s su***de prevention page, S.A.F.E.’s Central Oregon secure fi***rm storage resources, and NAMI Oregon’s resource guide.
Today, we grieve with Bend. In the days ahead, we must also find the resolve to turn that grief into action.
