The firearm used by a 16-year-old in the tragic shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, was a birthday gift from his mother, according to CBS News. The Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun was purchased legally in August 2026 by Shauntai Nickerson, the mother of the shooter, Griffin J. John II. It was intended for recreational use.
Nickerson had previously expressed concerns about her son’s educational challenges. In 2020, during the pandemic, she shared with a local TV station that her son, then 10, had special needs and was having difficulties with remote learning. She emphasized the importance of returning to in-person education to access the skilled teaching he required.
The incident began when the shooter fired at a passing pickup truck, prompting the driver to call 911. He then forcibly entered the school by shooting through the glass panes of double doors. Once inside, he went into the first classroom on the left, where he killed three children and a teacher, and wounded two others.
The victims were identified by the police. The children, aged 5, 8, and 11, included a 5-year-old named Rhoam Summer. The victims’ families have not disclosed more children’s identities. The teacher killed was 25-year-old Megan Lambert. Among the injured were a 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher. A makeshift memorial of flowers and candles has been set up at the school.
There were nine people in the classroom during the attack — four adults and five children. A bystander, 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, intervened and fatally shot the gunman. Giamanco, a Bend resident, has two daughters attending the school. The suspect, a former student, had no disclosed motive for the attack.
The Bend Police Department reported they would complete evidence collection at the school shortly and return the building to the school district. Investigators are reviewing the shooter’s online activities, including his computer, phone, and social media accounts.