Armed Parent Kills Attacker After School Shooting in Bend, Oregon

A 16-year-old former student killed three children and a teacher inside a special needs classroom at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on October 15, 2026, before an armed parent shot him dead.

Griffin J. John II killed four people just before 1 p.m. on Thursday at the school, located about 125 miles southeast of Portland. The gunman formerly attended the elementary school and had received special education services there, according to school superintendent Steven Cook.

The attacker approached the school on foot and threw a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun over the perimeter fence. He climbed over himself after shooting multiple times at a passing red Toyota pickup truck whose driver had called out to him.

Parent Kills Gunman Inside Classroom

The shooter forced his way through the glass panes of a set of double doors and went directly into the classroom immediately to the left. A teacher inside threw her phone at the teenager, then tackled and fought with him in an encounter that Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said likely saved lives before officers arrived.

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old and father of two girls enrolled at the school, was driving by when he heard gunshots and witnessed the attacker entering the school. Carrying a licensed .40-caliber pistol, Giamanco pulled over, followed the gunman inside, and fatally shot the assailant during the physical struggle.

To the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life, your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well.

Governor Tina Kotek

All four fatalities occurred inside that single special needs classroom. The victims killed at the scene included 5-year-old Rhoam Summer, 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert, and 8-year-old and 11-year-old students whose names have been withheld by families.

A 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher, identified by her family as Becky Drury, were hospitalized with critical injuries. Chief Krantz noted that the young student was in serious, but stable, condition, while the teacher sustained serious injuries to her left arm and right hand.

Police Probe Shotgun Source

Investigators recovered the pump-action shotgun alongside a backpack containing roughly 44 remaining rounds of 12-gauge ammunition, which included birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that the weapon had been purchased by the suspect’s mother around the time of his birthday in August.

Chief Krantz emphasized that how the teenager acquired the gun remains under active investigation.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are examining the teenager’s digital footprint, phone, and search history to probe whether he harbored an obsession with prior mass violence. In a 2020 interview with local television, the suspect’s mother, Shauntai Nickerson, had spoken about her son struggling with remote learning during the pandemic while having special needs.

We may never get that full answer, but we want it.

Chief Mike Krantz, Bend Police Department

Lawmakers Demand Gun Safety

Sen. Ron Wyden, who has represented Oregon in the Senate since 1996, argued that honoring the victims requires passing common-sense gun safety laws. Congresswoman Janelle Bynum, representing Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, demanded an end to inaction on school safety during a candlelight vigil at Drake Park. Sen. Elizabeth Warren pointed to the scale of nationwide gun violence as Congress faced fresh pressure ahead of upcoming electoral contests.

Giamanco’s family released a statement through his mother emphasizing that he was not seeking public recognition and expressing gratitude to first responders and school staff.

Police announced that a heavy security presence would remain stationed around Silver Rail Elementary over the following days.

More on this story: Teenager Kills Four at Silver Rail Elementary School, Police Say · Washington Resident Charged With Conspiracy in Canadian School Shooting

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