At Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, a 16-year-old former student opened fire with a pump-action shotgun. Three children—a five-year-old, an eight-year-old and an 11-year-old—and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert were killed. A seven-year-old girl and a 54-year-old educator were also injured.
The suspect, Griffin J. John II, approached the school shortly before 1 p.m. through a partially overgrown area. He threw the weapon over a fence and began climbing over it. A driver in a passing red pickup truck noticed the teenager and tried to stop him verbally. In response, the teenager opened fire on the vehicle, but the driver was not injured.
The shooter then smashed the glass panels at a side entrance and entered a special-education classroom. One of the teachers threw a cellphone at him and then grappled with him. At that moment, Caylub Jamanko, the father of two students who saw the shooting while driving to lunch, pulled up to the school, ran inside and shot the attacker several times with a pistol that had been legally stored in his truck. The teenager died; 44 additional rounds were found on him.
Another teacher, Becky Drury, shielded the injured seven-year-old girl with her body. The bullet passed through the teacher’s arm and the child’s face, but doctors said both were expected to survive. Police and school officials called the teachers’ and father’s actions exceptionally courageous, saying they prevented an even greater loss of life.
Megan Lambert, who was killed, was a young teacher who was excited to work in her hometown. The grandfather of five-year-old Roam Summer described the boy as bright, mischievous and fearless.
After the attack, Bend schools were closed or temporarily placed under lockdown to restrict access to the buildings, protect students and allow police to search the grounds. In Oregon, when there is a threat of gunfire, schools may lock their doors and restrict movement, shelter children and staff in classrooms, suspend entry and exit, and evacuate people if necessary. Decisions are made by school and district administrators in coordination with law enforcement, while families receive relevant notifications.
Bend’s schools are part of the public Bend-La Pine Schools district. Silver Rail administrators and staff are responsible for immediate action inside the building; the district coordinates the response and communications; and local police handle the investigation, threat assessment and on-site security.
In Bend, where a shooting at a grocery store had already occurred in 2022, residents once again faced profound shock. A large candlelight vigil was held, and about 200 people went to the city library for psychological support.
Investigators are determining the motive for the attack and how the teenager gained access to the shotgun and ammunition registered to his mother. In Oregon, firearms must be stored in a way that prevents minors from accessing them without permission; ammunition is also recommended to be stored separately and securely. The fact that a weapon belongs to a relative does not itself give a child the right to use it, and the owner’s liability depends on the specific circumstances and any violations of storage requirements.
Police searched the mother’s apartment and confiscated electronic devices. The woman said she believed her son was a good child and had noticed no signs of possible violence. The school will remain closed as a crime scene until the beginning of next week, while the district will separately review how the attacker entered the building and whether existing security measures worked effectively.
Based on: How a Teacher and a Dad Stopped the Slaughter in Bend