Five-Year-Old Identified as Youngest Victim in Oregon School Shooting
Family mourns the loss of Rhoam Summer as investigation into the incident and the 16-year-old gunman continues.
Rhoam Summer, 5, has been identified as the youngest victim of a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, that left four people dead. His father, Kelik Summer, announced the loss on Facebook, stating, "Today has been the worst day of my life. My son Rhoam was killed in a school shooting. We are broken and lost, but are surrounded by friends and family who are keeping us safe."
Rhoam, along with another child aged eight, an 11-year-old, and a teacher, were killed by a 16-year-old gunman. The identities of the gunman and the other victims have not yet been released. Two individuals, a seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher, sustained critical injuries and remain hospitalized.
The community has rallied around the Summer family, with a Meal Train fundraiser already collecting over $23,000 to provide support. A message on the fundraiser described Rhoam as a "sweet 5-year-old son" and stated, "There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child."
One mother in the community paid tribute to Rhoam, calling him a "wonderful friend" and remembering him as "precious and full of pure love."
The shooting occurred on Thursday, and questions remain unanswered regarding the gunman's motive and whether he was a former student of the school. It has been reported that students were dressed for photo day when the incident unfolded.
According to reports, a bystander in a pickup truck noticed the teen approaching the school with a firearm. The bystander confronted the shooter, and after the gunman fired at the truck, a second individual intervened inside the school and fatally shot the assailant. The firearm used by the 16-year-old was reportedly purchased by his mother.
One parent, Hannah Ferrie, described the terror experienced by her children, with her seven-year-old daughter reportedly traumatized and unable to sleep alone after hiding during the incident. Ferrie voiced frustration with the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States, stating, "This is a systemic problem that the United States exclusively has. It’s because we value Second Amendment rights over children’s lives, and that has to change."