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Oregon School Shooter Was 15-Year-Old Student, Police Say

Freshman Hailee Siebert, 15, cries on her mother's shoulder after a shooting on Tuesday at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Ore. The gunman has been identified as 15-year-old student Jared Michael Padgett.
Rick Bowmer
/
AP
Freshman Hailee Siebert, 15, cries on her mother's shoulder after a shooting on Tuesday at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Ore. The gunman has been identified as 15-year-old student Jared Michael Padgett.

Police have identified the gunman who killed a student and wounded a teacher at an Oregon high school before fatally shooting himself Tuesday. Jared Michael Padgett, 15, was armed with an "AR-15-type" rifle, a semi-automatic handgun, a large knife and several magazines of ammunition, authorities say.

Tuesday's shooting took place in a gym that was detached from the main building at Reynolds High School in the Portland suburb of Troutdale.

The weapons used by Padgett were owned by his family and had been locked up; however, the shooter "defeated the security" to gain access to them, according to Troutdale Police Chief Scott Anderson. He said Padgett was carrying nine loaded magazines and that the weapons were concealed in a guitar case and duffel bag when the shooter arrived on campus.

Anderson said an autopsy confirmed that Padgett died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after exchanging gunfire with police.

Teacher Todd Rispler, who was grazed in the hip during the assault, was able to get to the school's office and initiate the lockdown procedure, Anderson said.

Authorities said they did not know of any link between the shooter and the student he killed, who has been identified as Emilio Hoffman, 14.

Update at 8:00 p.m. ET

Troutdale Sgt. Carey Kaer is quoted by The Oregonian as saying that Hoffman was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time:

The newspaper says Padgett shot Hoffman twice in the chest with the rifle. Dr. Larry Lewman, deputy state medical examiner, says the victim died at the scene.

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Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.