A teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, is being praised for confronting a 16-year-old gunman during a shooting that killed three children and a fellow teacher.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the unidentified teacher threw her cellphone at the suspect, Griffin John II, before tackling him and attempting to wrestle the firearm away from him.
The teacher was not injured during the confrontation. Krantz said her actions almost certainly helped prevent further bloodshed and described her willingness to fight to protect the children as an example of heroism.
The shooting also ended after Kalub Giamanco, a 36-year-old father of two children at the school, confronted the gunman. Police said Giamanco’s quick response undoubtedly saved lives.
Four People Killed During School Picture Day
The shooting took place on Thursday, October 16, during the school’s annual picture day.
Three children, aged five, eight and 11, were killed, along with 25-year-old teacher Meghan Lambert. A seven-year-old child who uses a wheelchair and 54-year-old educational assistant Becky Drury were also injured.
Five-year-old Rhoam Summer was identified as one of the children killed. His father, Kelik Summer, announced his death in a Facebook post, describing the loss as the worst day of his life and saying the family was broken and struggling to cope.
Lambert was identified by police and her family on Friday.
Parents Faced Hours of Uncertainty
Joe Camarlinghi, whose third-grade daughter attends Silver Rail Elementary, said parents had sent their children to school expecting a routine day of photographs and celebrations.
Instead, families spent hours waiting for information about whether their children were safe.
Camarlinghi told The Oregonian that the experience was sickening, as parents who regularly met during school pick-ups faced the same fear for their children’s lives.
He said he felt some relief when he was reunited with his daughter, but that feeling was overshadowed by the grief affecting other families, teachers and members of the community.
Camarlinghi also praised Giamanco for confronting the gunman, saying his actions had helped save lives and answered the prayers of many parents.
Police Praise Giamanco’s Intervention
Chief Krantz said Giamanco acted quickly after hearing gunshots while driving home during his lunch break.
Giamanco’s wife, Kelsey, his brother, Kyle, and several friends confirmed that he entered the school and intervened during the attack.
He holds a concealed carry permit and is friends with the family of the seven-year-old child who was injured.
Police said the gunman was shot dead by Giamanco minutes after the attack began.
Krantz praised Giamanco’s courage, saying his actions should not be underestimated or underappreciated.
Gunman Targeted Special Education Classroom
Investigators said John fired at people inside a special education classroom that he had attended when he was a younger child at Silver Rail Elementary.
According to police, the teenager initially attempted to enter through the front of the school but came under fire. He then moved around to the rear entrance.
John had travelled to the school on foot, although police were still investigating the route he took.
Investigators said he threw a Maverick 88 12-gauge pump-action shotgun over a fence before climbing over it. After finding himself unable to enter through the front, he ran to the back and forced his way through a safety vestibule designed to protect pupils from intruders.
Police said he fired as many as 15 shots and had 44 rounds remaining when he was shot dead. Authorities were still investigating how he obtained the ammunition.
Investigation Examines Gunman’s Background
John was not enrolled in a Bend public school at the time of the shooting. Police confirmed that the firearm used in the attack belonged to his mother, Shauntai Nickerson, who reportedly purchased it around the time of his 16th birthday.
Investigators searched the family’s home on Thursday night and seized computers and other electronic devices. The family was described as cooperative with police.
Nickerson told reporters outside her home that her son was a good boy and that she would have stopped him if she had known what he intended to do. Authorities have not established a motive for the shooting.
John had previously participated in the Nurturing Empathy Safety and Trust programme, which supports special education pupils experiencing significant behavioural and social challenges.
In a 2020 interview with local television station KTVZ, Nickerson said she welcomed her son returning to classroom learning because she believed he needed assistance from trained teachers after struggling with remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Family Remembers Teacher Meghan Lambert
Lambert’s family described her as compassionate, funny and outspoken, with a strong commitment to helping others.
They said she had a passion for sports and had always wanted to become a teacher in the school district where she grew up.
Before securing her first teaching job at Silver Rail Elementary, Lambert had worked as a substitute teacher at the school for several years.
Her family said she had also demonstrated her commitment to making sports accessible by declining payment for her first season coaching volleyball so that children from families who could not afford to participate could still play.
They said Lambert stood up for people who were disadvantaged and for children with special needs.
Her family described Silver Rail as her dream workplace and said she loved the children she taught.
Injured Educational Assistant’s Family Requests Privacy
Becky Drury, the 54-year-old educational assistant injured in the shooting, was recovering as her family dealt with the aftermath.
On Friday, her husband requested privacy during what he described as an unimaginably difficult period.
He thanked members of the public for the kindness and concern shown to his family and others affected by the shooting.
Police said the investigation remained active as authorities continued examining the circumstances surrounding the attack and the events leading up to it.
A teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, is being praised for confronting a 16-year-old gunman during a shooting that killed three children and a fellow teacher.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the unidentified teacher threw her cellphone at the suspect, Griffin John II, before tackling him and attempting to wrestle the firearm away from him.
The teacher was not injured during the confrontation. Krantz said her actions almost certainly helped prevent further bloodshed and described her willingness to fight to protect the children as an example of heroism.
The shooting also ended after Kalub Giamanco, a 36-year-old father of two children at the school, confronted the gunman. Police said Giamanco’s quick response undoubtedly saved lives.
Four People Killed During School Picture Day
The shooting took place on Thursday, October 16, during the school’s annual picture day.
Three children, aged five, eight and 11, were killed, along with 25-year-old teacher Meghan Lambert. A seven-year-old child who uses a wheelchair and 54-year-old educational assistant Becky Drury were also injured.
Five-year-old Rhoam Summer was identified as one of the children killed. His father, Kelik Summer, announced his death in a Facebook post, describing the loss as the worst day of his life and saying the family was broken and struggling to cope.
Lambert was identified by police and her family on Friday.
Parents Faced Hours of Uncertainty
Joe Camarlinghi, whose third-grade daughter attends Silver Rail Elementary, said parents had sent their children to school expecting a routine day of photographs and celebrations.
Instead, families spent hours waiting for information about whether their children were safe.
Camarlinghi told The Oregonian that the experience was sickening, as parents who regularly met during school pick-ups faced the same fear for their children’s lives.
He said he felt some relief when he was reunited with his daughter, but that feeling was overshadowed by the grief affecting other families, teachers and members of the community.
Camarlinghi also praised Giamanco for confronting the gunman, saying his actions had helped save lives and answered the prayers of many parents.
Police Praise Giamanco’s Intervention
Chief Krantz said Giamanco acted quickly after hearing gunshots while driving home during his lunch break.
Giamanco’s wife, Kelsey, his brother, Kyle, and several friends confirmed that he entered the school and intervened during the attack.
He holds a concealed carry permit and is friends with the family of the seven-year-old child who was injured.
Police said the gunman was shot dead by Giamanco minutes after the attack began.
Krantz praised Giamanco’s courage, saying his actions should not be underestimated or underappreciated.
Gunman Targeted Special Education Classroom
Investigators said John fired at people inside a special education classroom that he had attended when he was a younger child at Silver Rail Elementary.
According to police, the teenager initially attempted to enter through the front of the school but came under fire. He then moved around to the rear entrance.
John had travelled to the school on foot, although police were still investigating the route he took.
Investigators said he threw a Maverick 88 12-gauge pump-action shotgun over a fence before climbing over it. After finding himself unable to enter through the front, he ran to the back and forced his way through a safety vestibule designed to protect pupils from intruders.
Police said he fired as many as 15 shots and had 44 rounds remaining when he was shot dead. Authorities were still investigating how he obtained the ammunition.
Investigation Examines Gunman’s Background
John was not enrolled in a Bend public school at the time of the shooting. Police confirmed that the firearm used in the attack belonged to his mother, Shauntai Nickerson, who reportedly purchased it around the time of his 16th birthday.
Investigators searched the family’s home on Thursday night and seized computers and other electronic devices. The family was described as cooperative with police.
Nickerson told reporters outside her home that her son was a good boy and that she would have stopped him if she had known what he intended to do. Authorities have not established a motive for the shooting.
John had previously participated in the Nurturing Empathy Safety and Trust programme, which supports special education pupils experiencing significant behavioural and social challenges.
In a 2020 interview with local television station KTVZ, Nickerson said she welcomed her son returning to classroom learning because she believed he needed assistance from trained teachers after struggling with remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Family Remembers Teacher Meghan Lambert
Lambert’s family described her as compassionate, funny and outspoken, with a strong commitment to helping others.
They said she had a passion for sports and had always wanted to become a teacher in the school district where she grew up.
Before securing her first teaching job at Silver Rail Elementary, Lambert had worked as a substitute teacher at the school for several years.
Her family said she had also demonstrated her commitment to making sports accessible by declining payment for her first season coaching volleyball so that children from families who could not afford to participate could still play.
They said Lambert stood up for people who were disadvantaged and for children with special needs.
Her family described Silver Rail as her dream workplace and said she loved the children she taught.
Injured Educational Assistant’s Family Requests Privacy
Becky Drury, the 54-year-old educational assistant injured in the shooting, was recovering as her family dealt with the aftermath.
On Friday, her husband requested privacy during what he described as an unimaginably difficult period.
He thanked members of the public for the kindness and concern shown to his family and others affected by the shooting.
Police said the investigation remained active as authorities continued examining the circumstances surrounding the attack and the events leading up to it.
