A 16-year-old former student opened fire inside a special needs classroom at an elementary school in Oregon, killing three children and a teacher, after allegedly forcing his way into the building with a shotgun bought by his mother, according to police and media reports. The attacker, identified as Griffin J. John II, was eventually stopped by a father who followed him into the school and shot him.The shooting took place at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend on Thursday. The victims were three children aged five, eight and 11, and 25-year-old teacher Meghan Lambert. A seven-year-old child who uses a wheelchair and a 54-year-old teacher were also injured in the attack, according to The New York Post.Police said all four fatalities occurred in the same classroom, which John had previously attended as a special needs student. Authorities said the teenager fired as many as 15 rounds from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. He reportedly had about 44 rounds remaining when he was killed. Investigators are still examining the motive behind the attack and how the teenager obtained the firearm.
Teacher tackled gunman as father intervened
According to The New York Post, citing law-enforcement sources, John threw his Maverick 88 shotgun over a fence at the school around 1pm on Thursday before climbing over it himself. He initially attempted to enter through the front door but was stopped by two bystanders, including a father of two pupils who had noticed the breach while driving past on his way home for lunch.The father, who was carrying a concealed firearm, opened fire on the teenager, disrupting his attempt to enter through the front. John then allegedly ran around to the rear of the building, forced open a locked door and made his way to his former classroom, where he opened fire.Police Chief Mike Krantz said a teacher confronted the gunman by throwing her phone at him before tackling and fighting him in an attempt to seize his weapon. She was not injured.Krantz praised her actions during a news conference, describing her as someone who was willing to stand and fight for her pupils. He also credited the father who shot the attacker, saying the two intervened to stop the violence and save lives.School district official Steve Cook said the school would investigate its emergency response procedures following the shooting. He added that students practised lockdown drills twice a year and that the latest drill had taken place about two weeks earlier.
Shooter’s mother expresses grief
John’s mother, Shauntai Nickerson, told reporters outside her apartment near the school that she was devastated by the attack. According to The New York Times and CNN, she broke down while speaking about her son and the victims.“I miss my boy,” Nickerson said. “I’m so sorry, I wish I could have done something. I’m sorry for their loss.”She also described her son as a “good boy”, according to The New York Post. The newspaper, citing law-enforcement sources, reported that Nickerson had legally purchased the shotgun around the time of her son’s birthday in August.Police have not established why John targeted the classroom or what led him to carry out the attack. Krantz said investigators were seeking answers but cautioned that the full explanation might never emerge.“Everyone wants to know why, including us,” the police chief said. “We may never get that full answer, but we want it.”Lambert’s family remembered the 25-year-old teacher as compassionate and devoted to children. Police communications manager Sheila Miller said teaching at Silver Rail Elementary had been Lambert’s first job and that working in the school district she loved had been her dream.