Bend School Shooting Raises Questions Over Gun Access

A 16-year-old former student killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, after entering a special needs classroom with a shotgun, authorities said. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher suffered critical injuries. Investigators are examining how the shooter obtained the weapon and what led to the attack.

The attack and response

Police identified the shooter as Griffin J. John II. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said John used a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun. Authorities said a 36-year-old parent fatally shot John with a pistol.

Around 1 p.m., police said, John climbed over the school campus fence. He fired at a witness in a pickup truck who confronted him verbally, then 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. Krantz said John used birdshot, buckshot and slugs, with about 44 rounds of ammunition remaining. Authorities said the shooting took place Thursday. At a news conference Friday, Krantz said investigators were working to establish what led to it. “Everyone wants to know why, including us,” he said.

Gun access and the investigation

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

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

A law enforcement source said interviews so far had produced no clear motive. Police were also examining possible mental health concerns or warning signs. Krantz said finding out what led to the attack would take time. “We may never get that full answer, but we want it,” he said.

School history and next steps

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. They described the program as serving children with “intensive behavioral and social skills challenges.”

During the pandemic, John's mother spoke with CNN affiliate KTVZ about her hope that in-person classes for children with special needs would resume. She said her then-10-year-old son had 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.

John's mother works as a health aide at a local nursing home and declined to comment to CNN on how he accessed the weapon. “I miss my boy. I’m so sorry,” she said, crying and smoking a cigarette. She addressed the families of those killed: “I wish I could have done something. I’m sorry for their loss.” She also said, “He was a good boy,” and reported no warning signs before the shooting.

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. Investigators haven't established a motive or explained how John obtained the gun.