Trump says armed bystander who killed US school shooter a ‘great hero’
President Trump praised an armed bystander who killed a teenage gunman at an Oregon elementary school, calling him a 'great hero.' The incident has reignited the national debate over gun control and the role of armed citizens in public safety.
Why it matters
The event highlights the deep polarization in the U.S. regarding gun violence, pitting the NRA's 'armed citizenry' narrative against gun-control advocacy groups.
The gunman killed three children and a teacher before a bystander shot him. Photo / Payton Bruni, AFP
US President Donald Trump has praised the armed bystander who shot dead a teenage gunman at an Oregon elementary school as a “great hero”, saying the shooting could have been “much worse”.
The 16-year-old attacker killed three children and a teacher on Thursday (local time) at Silver Rail Elementary School in the city of Bend. Another child and teacher were critically wounded.
“As bad as it was, we had a great hero that went in and did the business,” Trump told journalists, adding: “It’s a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it”.
Police said the bystander pursued the gunman into the school and shot the assailant dead before officers arrived.
Also covering this story
19 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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