A teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, is being hailed as a hero for confronting a teenage gunman, likely saving lives before a parent intervened and fatally shot the attacker, police said Friday.
The 16-year-old gunman, identified as Griffin J. John II, killed three students and one teacher before he was stopped. Authorities said John, a former student at the school, fired up to 15 shots from a 12-gauge shotgun in a classroom with special needs students.
City of Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz described the teacher's actions as heroic. She was not injured. The father who ultimately stopped the shooter, identified as Kaylub Giamanco, has two daughters at the school.
Timeline of the Attack
The incident began Thursday afternoon when a 911 call reported a boy throwing a gun over a school fence and then climbing over it. The caller yelled at the boy, who fired at the truck, striking it three times. The driver was unharmed and called for help.
A second driver, who had children at the school, saw the gunman shooting at the truck and heading toward the building. He entered the school with a pistol, witnessed the struggle between the teacher and the shooter, and then shot the gunman multiple times. Police arrived minutes later to find John deceased.
Authorities are investigating how the 16-year-old obtained the pump-action shotgun, which was reportedly purchased by his mother. Oregon law permits minors to possess shotguns if provided by a parent or with parental consent.
Victims and Response
The victims killed were 5, 8, and 11 years old, along with teacher Meghan Lambert, 25. Two others, a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher, were critically injured and hospitalized.
The shooter's mother, Shauntai Nickerson, expressed sorrow for the loss of life and stated she wished she could have prevented the shooting. She confirmed her son had participated in a special needs program called NEST (Nurturing Empathy, Safety and Trust) in 2020. Records indicate he struggled with remote learning during the pandemic.
In the aftermath, memorials with flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals have appeared near the school. Classes and all other activities were canceled Friday for schools across Bend.
President Donald Trump commented on the shooting, praising the intervention of the armed parent and suggesting the tragedy could have been worse. Gov. Tina Kotek also acknowledged the armed citizen's role in ending the rampage.