Treasurer Steiner’s Statement on the Silver Rail Elementary School Shooting

Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner, MD issued the following statement in the wake of the school shooting at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend.

"Yesterday's shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend is heartrending. I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families who suffered such unimaginable losses. All of Oregon grieves with them at this terrible time. I am grateful for the courageous action of the heroic community member who entered the school and neutralized the threat. I appreciate the quick response of law enforcement and first responders. I am keeping all the students, families, educators, and other staff at Silver Rail Elementary in my thoughts as they mourn losses that will never be forgotten.

This awful tragedy hurts all of us, but it's especially painful for anyone who sends a child off to school these days or has loved ones who work in schools. It raises real and unfortunate fears that are never far from their minds. The Treasury family stands in sympathy and solidarity with the Silver Rail school community.

Yesterday's horrific violence was the 52nd school shooting in the United States in 2026. America's uniquely troubled history of school shootings must come to an end. Schools should be a place for children, teachers, and families to thrive and feel safe.

It's up to all of us to stop these incomprehensible tragedies from visiting fear, pain, and heartbreak on our schools, families, and communities. What happened yesterday at Silver Rail Elementary must never occur again."