Bend School Shooting: Mother Reportedly Purchased Shotgun Used by 16-Year-Old Perpetrator in Attack on Special Needs Classroom

On October 15, 2026, a 16-year-old former student identified as Griffin J. John II carried out a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, killing three children (ages 5, 8, and 11, including Rhoam Summer) and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert in a special needs classroom where he had once been enrolled. Two others—a 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old staff member—were wounded. The attacker was fatally shot by armed bystander Kaylub Giamanco, a father of two students at the school who intervened after witnessing the initial confrontation outside. Multiple law enforcement sources told NBC, CBS, and other outlets that John's mother, Shauntai Nickerson, purchased the Maverick 88 12-gauge pump-action shotgun around his August birthday; she has been described as cooperative. Police have executed a search warrant at the family home and are examining the teen's devices for motive or fixation on prior attacks, though none has been publicly established. The incident highlights Oregon's gun laws on parental transfers to minors (permitted under certain conditions but subject to strict secure storage requirements via SB 554) and broader debates on family dynamics, access to firearms, and school safety. Giamanco's actions and a teacher's physical struggle with the shooter were credited with limiting further casualties. Investigations continue, with video evidence sought from the public.