Teacher and passing father intervened in fatal Oregon school shooting
Developing story first seen 1 hour ago
New details clarify that the passing father saw the suspect shoot outside Silver Rail Elementary before entering the school and fatally shooting him, while a teacher was already struggling to take away the shotgun. Police said the two interventions likely prevented further deaths in the attack on a special educational needs class in Bend, Oregon.
Police identified the suspect as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former pupil at the school, and said he fired as many as 15 rounds in the classroom, with about 44 more rounds of ammunition when he was stopped. Four people were killed, including five-year-old Rhoam Summer and 25-year-old teacher Meghan Lambert; two other pupils, aged eight and 11, have not been publicly named. Two people were injured, and police say the motive and how the suspect obtained the gun remain unclear.
- A passing father entered the school and fatally shot the attacker.
- A teacher wrestled with the suspect over his shotgun.
- Police are still investigating the motive and gun’s source.
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Silver Rail Elementary is a primary school in Bend, a city in the US state of Oregon. Schools in the United States usually teach children from about five to 11 in the same school, and pupils are often in class together with one teacher.
The people most affected include the pupils, their families and school staff. The 16-year-old suspect was a former pupil, while Meghan Lambert was a teacher at the school; the other pupils killed were five, eight and 11 years old.
The shooting has renewed attention on the safety of schools and the effects of gun violence on children and communities. Police are investigating how the attack unfolded and what may have motivated it.
Full account
A teacher and a father who happened to be passing Silver Rail Elementary School intervened during a fatal shooting in Bend, Oregon, police said. The attack took place on Thursday afternoon in a special educational needs classroom. Police said a 16-year-old former pupil, Griffin J. John II, was killed at the scene after the father entered the school and shot him.
Police said the teacher, Meghan Lambert, tried to wrestle a shotgun from the suspect after throwing her mobile phone aside. The father had seen the suspect firing outside and then shooting through a window to get into the school. He retrieved a legally carried pistol from his vehicle and went inside. Police said the two adults’ actions likely prevented further deaths. The suspect had fired as many as 15 rounds and had about 44 shotgun cartridges remaining when he was stopped.
Four people were killed: Lambert, aged 25, and three pupils aged five, eight and 11. Police publicly named the youngest child, Rhoam Summer, as well as Lambert; the other children’s families had not agreed to release their names. Two people were injured: a 54-year-old teacher and a seven-year-old pupil. Both were in hospital, with the child reported in serious but stable condition.
Lambert’s family described her as devoted to teaching and to the children she taught, particularly those with special needs. They said she had coached volleyball and waived her pay for a season so more children could take part. Police said the suspect had previously attended Silver Rail and travelled there on foot, but were still investigating his movements, how he obtained the shotgun and his motive. The father’s identity was not confirmed by police; one report said his family had identified him to US media as Kaylub Giamanco.
Where outlets differ
Both reports describe the teacher’s attempt to disarm the suspect and the passing father’s intervention, and report four deaths and two injuries. The first report centres on the police account of the response, the suspect’s movements and the investigation. The second gives more space to Lambert’s life and her family’s tribute, and includes additional detail about the suspect’s route into the school. Police had named only two of the four people killed; the reports also differ in how they describe the seven-year-old pupil’s condition, with the first calling it serious but stable and the second saying the child remained in hospital after being critically injured.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Oregon teacher fought school attacker before armed dad shot suspect ‘multiple times’”.