Oregon Shooter Attacked on School Picture Day, Killing Teacher and Three Students
A heroic teacher tackled the gunman before a parent intervened, police said, as the community mourns the victims, including children whose final photos were taken that day.
The elementary school shooter in Bend, Oregon, carried out the massacre on school picture day, leaving parents grieving over what would be some children's final photographs. Authorities identified the teacher killed in the attack as 25-year-old Meghan Lambert, and the three students as five-year-old Rhoam Summer, and two others aged eight and 11.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that an unidentified Silver Rail Elementary School teacher threw her cellphone at the suspect, identified as 16-year-old Griffin John II, and then "tackled him and fought to take the firearm from him." The teacher was not injured, and Krantz said her actions "almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed."
Joe Camarlinghi, father of a third-grader, told The Oregonian that parents had sent their children to school ready for picture day, only to spend hours waiting for news of their safety. "You are seeing the faces of parents you've seen at pickup all feeling the same thing: is my child safe?" he said. Some parents realized that the pictures taken that day might be the last of their children.
In addition to the four killed, a seven-year-old child who uses a wheelchair and 54-year-old educational assistant Becky Drury were injured. Drury's husband released a statement asking for privacy during a difficult time, expressing gratitude for the "kindness and concern shown to our family and everyone affected."
Camarlinghi also praised hero dad Kaylub Giamanco, 36, who ran into the school to confront the gunman. Krantz lauded Giamanco's "quick thinking" and "courage," stating he had "undoubtedly saved people." The police chief also recognized the teacher who was "willing to stand and fight for her children" as "incredible" and a "true heroism."
John fired as many as 15 shots during the attack and had 44 remaining when he was killed by Giamanco, according to police. The shooter targeted a special education class, where he had been a student. He reportedly ran to a back entrance after being fired upon at the front, blasting his way in through a "safety vestibule" system.
John, who was not enrolled in a Bend public school at the time, traveled to Silver Rail Elementary on foot. Police are investigating his route and how he obtained his ammunition. He threw his shotgun over a fence before entering the school.
Images of the shooter, Griffin John II, show a sullen expression. His mother, Shauntai Nickerson, had previously expressed that distance learning during COVID-19 lockdowns was difficult for her son and that she was pleased when students returned to the classroom. John was enrolled in a program for students with behavioral and social skills challenges. His mother's shotgun was used in the massacre, and police confiscated electronic devices from the family home, where she insisted her son was "a good boy." John's motive remains unknown.
Meghan Lambert, identified by police and her family, was remembered for her passion for sports and teaching. Her family noted her ambition to teach in the district where she grew up and her "huge heart," recalling that she once turned down pay for her first season as a volleyball coach so that families who couldn't afford it could participate. She was described as funny, opinionated, and a fighter for "the underdog" and "those with special needs."