Children Killed in Bend School Shooting

A 16-year-old former student killed three children and a 25-year-old teacher in a special needs classroom at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, authorities said. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher suffered critical injuries. Police identified the shooter as Griffin J. John II; a 36-year-old parent fatally shot him with a pistol.

The Attack at Silver Rail

Around 1 p.m., John climbed over the school campus fence, police said, then fired at a witness in a pickup truck who confronted him verbally. He entered the school by shooting through the glass panes of an external set of double doors. Inside, he fired multiple rounds into a classroom with students of mixed ages. A teacher tried to disarm him before the parent shot him.

The children killed were 5, 8 and 11 years old. John used a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said. Krantz said John used 12-gauge birdshot, buckshot and slugs, and had about 44 rounds of ammunition remaining.

A senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN that John's mother had purchased the gun. Oregon law doesn't allow a 16-year-old to purchase a shotgun, but permits possession if a parent transferred or provided it, as well as temporary possession for hunting, target practice or shooting sports. Authorities said they were still investigating how John accessed the weapon.

John's mother spoke to CNN off camera from her balcony but declined to comment on how he accessed the weapon. “I miss my boy. I'm so sorry,” she said, crying and smoking a cigarette. Addressing the families of those killed, she said, “I wish I could have done something. I'm sorry for their loss.” She also told CNN, “He was a good boy,” and said there'd been no warning signs before the shooting.

Special Needs Classes and Investigation

Officials said John had previously attended special needs classes at Silver Rail, but couldn't confirm whether he had been in the particular classroom where the shooting occurred. The program serves children with “intensive behavioral and social skills challenges,” officials said.

During the pandemic, John's mother spoke with CNN affiliate KTVZ about hoping in-person classes for children with special needs would resume. She said her then-10-year-old son struggled with remote learning and looked forward to returning to school in 2020. “I think it will be great for my son to get the help that he needs from the skilled teachers that he needs to get it from,” she told KTVZ. His mother works as a health aide at a local nursing home.

The shooter's parents spoke with investigators Thursday and cooperated, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN. Authorities searched the family home Thursday and recovered computers and other electronic devices. Investigators obtained additional warrants to retrieve data from them. Local investigators and the FBI planned to examine the devices for evidence that could explain the attack.

Investigators had found no clear motive in interviews so far, a law enforcement source said. Police were also examining possible mental health concerns or warning signs. Krantz said authorities were investigating what led to the shooting. “Everyone wants to know why, including us,” he said at a news conference Friday.

District and Police Response

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said the district would investigate its emergency response procedures, safety planning and other aspects of the shooting once law enforcement allowed it. Krantz cautioned that finding what led to the attack would take time. “We may never get that full answer, but we want it,” he said.