A 16-year-old killed three children and a teacher at a Bend, Oregon, school. A bystander killed the gunman.
BEND, Ore. – A 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend before a bystander shot and killed him, police said. Two others, a 7-year-old and a 54-year-old educational assistant, were critically wounded. Police Chief Mike Krantz said officers arrived within three minutes of the first 911 call and found the gunman already dead.
Krantz said all the victims were shot in a special education classroom. The children killed were ages 5, 8 and 11. Police identified the 5-year-old as Rhoam Summer and the teacher as Megan Lambert, 25, of Bend, whose family said she loved Silver Rail and her students. The wounded educational assistant was identified by her family spokesperson as Rebecca “Becky” Drury, 54.
Police identified the shooter as Griffin J. John II of Bend, who had formerly attended Silver Rail Elementary but was not currently enrolled, and school officials said he had been a special needs student there. Police said he used a 12-gauge shotgun. CBS News, citing sources, reported that the shotgun was bought by his mother. Authorities have not confirmed that detail.
The bystander, Kaylub Giamanco, 36, is a carpenter and the father of two daughters who attend the school, according to his family and NBC News. Krantz said he saw the teen shoot at a truck outside, drove into the parking lot, took a legally owned .40-caliber pistol from his vehicle and followed the shooter into the classroom, where he shot him. Oregon’s governor said he heroically intervened. Giamanco’s family said he is not seeking recognition and thanked first responders, school staff and the community, and Lambert’s family also thanked him. A memorial of flowers grew outside the school on Friday.
This report draws on information from CBS News, ABC News, NBC News and CNN.