A teacher confronted a teenage gunman who killed four people at an elementary school in Oregon, throwing her phone at him before tackling and struggling with the attacker in an attempt to protect others, police said Friday. Her actions may have saved lives before a father who followed the shooter into the building shot and killed him.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz described the teacher’s response as “heroic” during a news conference, confirming that she was not injured. He identified the shooter as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II and said all four victims were shot inside the same classroom.
Authorities said John had previously attended Silver Rail Elementary as a student with special needs. He targeted a classroom attended by children with special needs, firing as many as 15 rounds from a 12-gauge shotgun. According to Krantz, the teenager still had approximately 44 rounds remaining when he was killed.
“Everyone wants to know why, including us,” Krantz said, adding that investigators might never uncover the complete explanation but would continue searching for answers.
Police are also investigating how the teenager obtained the pump-action shotgun. A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press, on condition of anonymity, that the weapon had been purchased by his mother.
The teenager’s mother, Shauntai Nickerson, spoke to reporters outside her apartment near the school, expressing sorrow over the incident and saying she wished she could have prevented it.
“I miss my boy,” Nickerson said through tears, according to reports by The New York Times and CNN. She apologised to the victims’ families and said she regretted being unable to do anything to stop the tragedy.
Nickerson declined to explain how her son acquired the shotgun and did not respond further when journalists later visited her apartment.
In a 2020 interview with local television station KTVZ, Nickerson had described her son, then 10, as a participant in a school district programme for students with special needs. The programme, known as NEST — Nurturing Empathy, Safety and Trust — supports children facing significant behavioural and social challenges. She had also spoken about his difficulties with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gunman Killed Minutes After First Emergency Call
According to Krantz, the first emergency call came early Thursday afternoon from the driver of a red pickup truck. The driver reportedly saw the teenager throw his gun over a fence outside the school before climbing over it himself.
When the driver shouted at him, the teenager opened fire, striking the truck three times. The driver escaped without injury.
Another motorist, 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, whose children attend Silver Rail Elementary, witnessed the teenager shooting at the pickup truck and moving towards the school. The gunman reportedly fired through locked doors to enter the building.
Giamanco stopped in the parking lot, took his .40-calibre pistol and followed the attacker inside. He then encountered the gunman wrestling with the teacher and fired several shots at him, killing him.
Police identified the four people killed as three children, aged 5, 8 and 11, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert.
A seven-year-old child who was wounded received emergency treatment at the scene and remains hospitalised. Another teacher, 54-year-old Becky Drury, was shot in the arm and hand. Her family said she was recovering following surgery.
Authorities confirmed that no other children were inside the classroom during the attack.
The youngest victim, Rhoam Summer, was remembered by his aunt, Swan Sheridan, as an energetic child who loved climbing, running and reading. She said he had a caring nature and was always eager to rescue and look after his stuffed toys.
Father Who Stopped Gunman Is Described as a Hero
In a statement delivered to reporters on Friday, Giamanco’s mother, Kenda Freeman, confirmed that her son was the person who shot the attacker. She said he is the father of two girls attending the school.
Freeman added that Giamanco did not want public recognition and instead expressed appreciation for emergency responders, school staff and community members who had offered support. The family also requested privacy as they dealt with the aftermath of the tragedy.
Silver Rail Elementary serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade and enrolled approximately 450 students last year.
Schools across Bend cancelled classes and other activities on Friday. The central Oregon city, surrounded by mountains and home to around 100,000 people, is known as a destination for tourism and outdoor recreation.
The shooting marked the 28th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
Trump Praises Man Who Stopped the Attack
US President Donald Trump praised Giamanco on Friday, describing him as a “great hero” who had taken action to stop the gunman.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the incident was horrific but credited the armed bystander’s intervention with potentially preventing an even greater loss of life.
Makeshift memorials featuring flowers, balloons and stuffed animals appeared around the school, located in a densely populated neighbourhood of newly constructed homes.
Brooke Olsen, whose daughter attends kindergarten at Silver Rail Elementary, said she was astonished that someone had pursued the gunman before law enforcement officers arrived.
Speaking tearfully on Friday, Olsen said she was grateful that someone had intervened quickly and prevented the violence from escalating further, describing the outcome as miraculous.