Early Thursday afternoon at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, police identified 16-year-old Griffin J. John II as the gunman who killed three children and a teacher. Investigators are probing the motive and firearm access following the attack.
Early Thursday afternoon in Bend, Oregon, a deadly shooting unfolded at Silver Rail Elementary School, leaving four people dead and altering a community more than 100 miles southeast of Portland. The school, which serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade, had 459 students enrolled last year according to Oregon Department of Education figures. The attacker forced entry into the building by firing through locked doors, directly targeting a classroom full of special needs students.
Griffin J. John II Identified as Silver Rail Elementary Shooter
Authorities identified the 16-year-old gunman as Griffin J. John II, a former special needs student at Silver Rail Elementary. Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that the young male discharged up to 15 rounds from a 12-gauge shotgun, retaining roughly 44 cartridges when he was shot dead.
The attack claimed the lives of three children—aged 5, 8, and 11—and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert. Police and family identified the 5-year-old victim as Rhoam Summer, while the families of the other two children have not released their names. Two others were wounded in the classroom: a 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher who was shot in the arm and hand. Police noted that a total of nine people, consisting of four adults and five children, were inside the classroom when the shooting occurred.
Bystander Shoots Attacker After Gunman Fires at Truck
Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old Bend resident with children at the school, witnessed the gunfire directed at a red pickup truck. The sequence of events began when the driver of that truck placed the first emergency call after seeing John throw a gun over a school fence and climb over it. When the driver shouted at him, John opened fire, striking the truck three times before the driver escaped injury.
Giamanco drove into the parking lot, retrieved his .40-caliber pistol, and followed the shooter inside. Discovering John struggling with a teacher, Giamanco shot him multiple times, ending the assault minutes after the first emergency call.
🚨 BREAKING: OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTER IDENTIFIED — 16-YEAR-OLD SUSPECTAuthorities have identified the suspected gunman in the deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on October 15, 2026, as 16-year-old Griffin J. John IIAccording to investigators, the… pic.twitter.com/VBBf7hsbW5
Firearm Purchase and Legal Questions Facing the Shooter’s Mother
Law enforcement sources stated that the Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun used in the attack was purchased legally in August 2026 by the shooter’s mother, Shauntai Nickerson, and given to him as a birthday gift for recreational use. Investigators are examining how the teenage shooter accessed the weapon. While Oregon law prohibits anyone under 18 from possessing a firearm, exceptions exist for certain long guns transferred by a parent or used for hunting and target practice.
Legal analysts indicate the inquiry could parallel prior parental fault proceedings elsewhere, as similar trials in Georgia and Michigan demonstrate that either or both parents of a teenage school attacker might face criminal responsibility for the homicides, akin to past cases resulting in murder or manslaughter convictions.
“Everyone wants to know why, including us,” and added, “We may never get that full answer, but we want it.”
Chief Mike Krantz, Bend Police Department
Nickerson spoke briefly with reporters following the shooting, expressing remorse over the tragedy.
“I’m so sorry, I wish I could have done something. I’m sorry for their loss,” and added, “I miss my boy.”
Shauntai Nickerson, Mother of the Shooter
Back in 2020, Nickerson spoke with local station KTVZ about her son’s participation in NEST—a special needs program designed for students experiencing intensive behavioral and social skills challenges—while struggling with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, she expressed hope that the program would provide her son with necessary support.
Police Seize Electronics to Establish Motive for Shooting
Chief Krantz emphasized that the inquiry is an active criminal investigation
as detectives examine online activity, search history, and phone records to establish a motive. The Bend Police Department executed search warrants at the suspect’s home, seizing computers and electronic devices for data extraction.
Police expected to finish processing evidence at Silver Rail Elementary and return the building to the school district. Meanwhile, makeshift memorials featuring flowers and candles have emerged outside the school as the community responds to the violence.