By Dan Thesman on Monday, October 19th, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Eastern/Southeast Oregon Top Stories
BEND — A 16-year-old former student killed four people, including three children, at Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday before an armed bystander shot and killed him, police said Friday.
The suspect, identified as Griffin J. John II, entered the school shortly after 1 p.m. carrying a 12-gauge shotgun and opened fire in a classroom, according to the Bend Police Department.
The victims killed at the scene include Rhoam Summer, 5, two other boys aged 8 and 11, and teacher Megan Lambert, 25. A 7-year-old girl remains in serious but stable condition at Oregon Health and Science University, while teacher Becky Drury, 54, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said John approached the school on foot, climbed a perimeter fence, and shot at a witness in a pickup truck before forcing entry through an exterior door. He fired as many as 15 rounds inside the classroom.
During the attack, an uninjured teacher attempted to disarm John by throwing a cell phone and tackling him. Simultaneously, a 36-year-old parent whose children attend the school retrieved a legally secured handgun from his vehicle, entered the building, and shot John multiple times.
John, who was not currently enrolled in the district, had roughly 44 unspent rounds in a backpack and on his person. Authorities are asking the public for video footage to determine his route to the school and are investigating how he obtained the firearm.