Oregon high school shooter kills freshman, self

USPA News - A gunman walked into a high school in the U.S. state of Oregon on Tuesday morning and opened fire inside the school`s gym building, killing a 14-year-old freshman and injuring a teacher before being killed in an apparent suicide, officials said. The incident happened at approximately 8:07 a.m. local time when several gunshots were heard at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, a city in Multnomah County, east of Portland. It sparked a massive emergency response as officers scrambled to determine whether an active shooter was still loose.

Troutdale Police Chief Scott Anderson said the gunman, whose identity was not immediately released, entered the building housing the school`s gym just after 8 a.m. before opening fire. 14-year-old Emilio Hoffman, who was a freshman at the high school, was in the boys locker room when he was shot and killed. "The shooter was located in a different, separate restroom," Anderson said, without clarifying whether the shooter targeted or deliberately fired at Hoffman. A teacher identified as Todd Rispler was injured but was able to make his way to the school`s office to initiate lockdown procedures. A law enforcement source said the gunman, who was carrying a rifle, died at the scene of the shooting of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, though Anderson would not confirm the shooter`s manner of death. "We are waiting for details from the medical examiner`s office before knowing or confirming any such information," he said. A possible motive for the shooting was also not immediately known. "This is a tragedy that affects our whole community. This is not supposed to happen in any school, or to any child. But we will get through this together," the police chief said. "I met with Emilio`s parents this afternoon and I can tell you how devastated they are by the news. They want you to know that Emilio was a great kid - loved by all." Tuesday`s school shooting comes less than a week after a 26-year-old man with a history of mental health issues opened fire at Seattle Pacific University in neighboring Washington state. A 19-year-old freshman student was killed and two others were injured before he was pepper-sprayed and tackled while attempting to reload his shotgun in an attempt to kill as many people as possible.