A 16-year-old former student killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday before a parent shot him, police said. Police identified him as Griffin J. John II; he also died at the scene. The four people killed and two wounded were all shot in one classroom, the department said.
The attack began at about 3:58 p.m. ET (19:58 UTC), police said. John tossed a shotgun over a fence and climbed onto school grounds, then fired at a pickup truck before entering through locked glass doors. The first 911 call came at 3:59 p.m. ET (19:59 UTC), and officers arrived at 4:02 p.m. ET (20:02 UTC).
Inside, a teacher threw her cellphone at John and tackled him while trying to wrest the shotgun away, according to police. A 36-year-old parent who witnessed the shooting outside went into the school and shot John several times as he struggled with the teacher.
Police said John had attended Silver Rail before but was not enrolled in Bend-La Pine Schools at the time. The department identified the 5-year-old child killed as Rhoam Summer and the teacher as Megan Lambert, 25. The other children were ages 8 and 11; their families asked that their names not be released. A 7-year-old girl was in serious but stable condition, while another teacher, 54, had serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Friday’s police update.
Police identified the weapon as a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun. They said John fired as many as 15 rounds during the attack but had not determined how many were fired in the classroom. About 44 rounds remained with him or in his backpack, police said. Investigators believe he walked to the school but have not established his route, motive or how he obtained the gun and ammunition. Police said they searched his home under a warrant, continued interviews and had about 150 law-enforcement and first-responder personnel involved.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told The Associated Press that investigators may never learn the full reason for the attack. “Everyone wants to know why, including us,” he said. The Associated Press reported the shooting was the 28th mass killing in the United States in 2026, citing a database maintained with USA Today and Northeastern University.
Parent Joe Camarlinghi told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Oct. 15 was picture day at the school. He said families later realized that photos taken that day could be among the last they had of some children who died, calling the realization “sickening.” Police expected to keep the crime scene until at least Tuesday, Oct. 20.
