A 16-year-old boy opened fire in an Oregon special-needs classroom, killing a teacher and three children, before being tackled by a teacher and fatally shot by an armed parent, officials said.
A 36-year-old father of two students then entered the school with a legally carried .40-caliber pistol and shot the 16-year-old, who had fired 15 rounds from a shotgun before being killed, police said.
Shooter Kills Teacher, Three Children in Oregon School
The shooter, Griffin J. John II, was a former special-needs student at Silver Rail Elementary School. He killed 25-year-old teacher Meghan Lambert, 5-year-old Rhoam Summer, and two other children aged 8 and 11.
Police said he had a legally concealed .40 calibre in his vehicle and his brother said he grabbed the pistol and decided to go in after
the suspect. The shooter fired about 15 rounds in the classroom and had another 44 rounds on him, police said. Investigators found a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun and a backpack near the shooter, with 44 remaining rounds of 12-gauge ammunition on the shooter or in his backpack.
The Heroic Interventions
The unidentified teacher tackled the shooter after throwing her phone at him, while the parent, Kaylub Giamanco, rushed in with a gun. Giamanco’s mother, Kenda Freeman, said he is not seeking recognition but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel, and community for the outpouring of love and support
and asked for privacy, per the Straitstimes.
President Donald Trump praised the bystander on Friday, calling him a “great hero”, stating, Thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it.
The teacher who intervened was not injured, and Krantz emphasized her courage: When someone is willing to risk their own life for others, we recognize that.
The parent’s actions allowed him to kill the gunman,
the chief added. Officers who arrived at the scene found a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun and a backpack near the shooter, Krantz said. People in Bend gathered near the school to mourn on Friday morning, placing flowers and candles outside yellow-crime scene tape that cordoned off the scene.
Kenda Freeman, who lives in Sacramento, California, told a local CBS station her son had called her moments after the shooting, and he was “traumatised.” He said a man went into my daughter’s school,
Freeman said, pausing as she started to tear up. And, um, shot kids. And he said, and I looked at him point blank, and I shot and killed him, mom.
She added: I told him he saved a lot of lives, and he said, mom, I couldn’t save them all.
Without naming the bystander, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek acknowledged the man’s heroic actions stopping further loss of life, but noted they “carry a heavy emotional burden”, according to the Bbc.
Community Reacts to Tragedy, Questions Remain
Survivors described the trauma of the attack. 9-year-old fourth-grader Kalani Journeigh told Reuters, We might die,
after hearing gunshots.
Authorities continue to investigate how the shooter obtained his weapon and his motive. Krantz said, Everyone wants to know why, including us,
adding, We may never get that full answer, but we want it.
Police were trying to determine what motivated the shooter and how he obtained a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, Krantz said.
Community members expressed grief and gratitude. Kenda Freeman told the New York Times her son Kaylub Giamanco killed the shooter. Meghan Lambert’s family described her as funny and opinionated,
and she lit up the room.
Meghan loved those children and so we will show you love for her, said Carla Herreria, an editor on MS NOW’s breaking news and liveblog team, overseeing evening coverage from the West Coast.