Oregon School Shooter Identified as Former Special Needs Student, Police Confirm

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz identified the 16-year-old attacker in the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School as Griffin J. John II on Friday. Police and school officials stated that the teenager, who killed three children and a teacher, was a former special-needs student at the school. Chief Krantz noted that the attack targeted a classroom of special-needs students, where all the victims were shot. Steven Cook, superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools, confirmed that John was not enrolled in the local public school system at the time of the incident, stating, "That classroom was a special needs classroom, and the suspect was a special needs student in that school."

During the attack, John reportedly used a 12-gauge shotgun to force his way through locked doors, firing approximately 15 shots. He had about 44 rounds remaining when he was killed. Authorities are currently investigating how the minor obtained the firearm, noting that Oregon law permits minors to possess shotguns if provided by or with consent from a parent. The shooter's mother, Shauntai Nickerson, expressed her remorse to reporters, saying, "I’m so sorry, I wish I could have done something."

A teacher at the school is being hailed for her bravery after she threw her phone at the gunman and then tackled him, an act police believe may have saved lives. The teacher, identified as Meghan Lambert, 25, was not injured. Minutes after the first 911 call, a father of two students at the school, Kaylub Giamanco, 36, pursued the gunman inside and fatally shot him. US President Donald Trump commended Giamanco, calling him a "great hero" and stating, "It’s a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it."

The victims included children aged five, eight, and 11, and the teacher, Meghan Lambert. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were transported to the hospital in critical condition. This incident marks the 28th mass killing in the US this year, according to data compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University. The Gun Violence Archive has recorded 369 mass shootings in 2026, defined as events where four or more people are shot, while Everytown for Gun Safety reports at least 100 incidents of gunfire on school grounds this year, resulting in 34 deaths.