The 16-year-old accused of carrying out Thursday’s fatal shooting at an elementary school in Oregon had once been a pupil at the same campus, where three children and a teacher were killed.
John J Griffin entered Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend at approximately 12:59 p.m., armed with a pump-action “long gun” resembling a rifle or shotgun. Police said the weapon had been purchased by his mother.
During questioning by investigators, Griffin’s mother, Shauntai May Nickerson, reportedly confirmed that her son had previously attended Silver Rail Elementary, according to CNN.
An investigation official cited by The New York Times said Nickerson told police that she wished she could have stopped the attack, adding: “If I could have prevented this, I would have.”
The teenager allegedly fired toward locked doors before making his way to the school’s special education section. There, police say, he killed three children, aged five, eight and 11, along with a teacher whose age has not been released.
The rampage ended within minutes when Kalub Giamanco, 36, shot the alleged attacker. Giamanco, a father of two children enrolled at the school, said he heard gunfire while driving home during his lunch break.
“I miss my boy. I’m so sorry,” Nickerson told CNN. She said she had not noticed any warning signs, but declined to explain how her son had obtained the firearm allegedly used in the shooting.
“I’m so sorry. I wish I could have done something. I’m sorry for their loss,” she said.
The 16-year-old accused of killing three children and a teacher at an Oregon elementary school on Thursday was shot by a bystander, although authorities have not publicly released his identity
The teenager reportedly entered Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend at about 12:59 p.m. carrying a pump-action “long gun” that police said had been bought by his mother
Five-year-old Rhoam Summer was the first victim identified after the shooting and was the youngest person killed, with his father confirming his identity
Following the shooting, police searched the Griffin family home and collected evidence. His parents are reportedly cooperating with investigators.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News that detectives are examining Griffin’s digital activity, including his computer, phone, social media profiles and internet search history.
Authorities are investigating whether he had shown an interest in violence or previous mass shootings, while emphasizing that no firm conclusions can yet be reached.
A 2020 interview with a local television station has also resurfaced. In it, Nickerson discussed her son’s return to school as classrooms reopened following COVID-related restrictions.
Speaking to NewsChannel 21, Nickerson said Griffin, who was then 10, had special needs and had found remote learning difficult while spending much of his time at home.
“I think it will be great for Griffin, because I am not certified to teach a special needs student,” Nickerson said at the time.
She added that returning to school would allow her son to receive support from trained educators equipped to meet his needs.
Authorities initially identified the suspected shooter only as a Bend resident. A motive has not been established, and officials have not said how far he entered the school before the gunfire began.
Rhoam Summer, five, was the first victim named publicly after Thursday’s shooting. His father confirmed the child’s identity on Friday.
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Two other victims, a 54-year-old teacher and a seven-year-old child who uses a wheelchair, were rushed to hospital in critical condition. The child had been shot in the face.
While little is known about the suspect, police said the shooting began when he opened fire on a red pickup truck in the parking lot before storming into the school, which is attended by around 450 children.
The suspect allegedly blasted his way through locked doors before entering the school’s special education area, where he killed three children aged five, eight and 11, and a teacher
Police have described the suspected gunman only as a Bend resident, with no motive yet established for the attack
The police chief warned that the investigation would be a ‘long’ one, with investigators expected to remain at the school for several days
Photos shared online showed the Toyota Tacoma SR5 riddled with bullet holes, including three along the bottom of the passenger-side door, two more near the front of the door and another pair near the base of the truck bed.
The rear passenger-side window also appeared to have been completely shattered, with no glass visible in the frame.
After opening fire on the truck, the assailant allegedly hurled the gun over the school fence before climbing over himself, prompting the driver to call Deschutes County dispatchers just before 1pm.
The rampage ended only when a Good Samaritan ‘pursued him into the school and engaged him,’ ultimately shooting the gunman dead just three minutes before police arrived.
Kathy Sheil Smith, a fifth-grade teacher who came face-to-face with the reality of the attack inside the school, was among those who praised the local hero for saving lives, according to KPTV News.
‘That person saw something,’ she said. ‘They did something, and that took its own courage. I’m just grateful that that person was able to apprehend the suspect.’
Paramedics were seen preparing a staging area outside the school after the attack, as another child and a teacher were rushed to hospital. Neither patient’s current condition has been confirmed.
It is not known whether the suspected shooter had a history of threats, disciplinary problems or other warning signs that preceded the attack.
Authorities have also not confirmed whether he was armed with any other weapons, whether a note or digital evidence was recovered, or whether he had previously come to the attention of law enforcement.
The police chief warned that the investigation would be a ‘long’ one, with investigators expected to remain at the school for several days.
The state has passed a range of gun safety laws in recent years, earning Oregon a 12th-place ranking among all 50 states for the strength of its gun laws, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
Thursday’s deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School, about 160 miles southeast of Portland, is the latest in a long string of school shootings to devastate the nation over the past three decades.
Last year, 235 shooting incidents were recorded at American schools, with at least 140 reported so far this year, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database.
In Oregon, people under 18 cannot buy firearms, although minors may possess them with parental permission for certain purposes, including hunting.