Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances that prompted a 16-year-old to storm his former elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday. The suspect, identified by police as Griffin J. John II, gained access to the Silver Rail Elementary School campus by scaling a fence around 1 p.m. He initially fired shots at a witness inside a pickup truck who had confronted him, according to local law enforcement. The mother, who works as a health aide at a local nursing home, had told KTVZ her then 10-year-old son had struggled learning from home and was looking forward to returning to school in 2020.
After breaching the school by firing through the glass of exterior double doors, the gunman entered a special needs classroom and opened fire, killing three children—aged 5, 8, and 11—and a 25-year-old teacher. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher remain in critical condition. The incident ended when a 36-year-old parent at the school used a pistol to fatally shoot the suspect, following an unsuccessful attempt by another teacher to disarm him. He fired multiple rounds into the special needs classroom that included students of mixed ages. Two others, a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher, sustained critical injuries.
Police Chief Mike Krantz confirmed that the shooter used a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, which had been purchased by his mother. While state law prohibits a 16-year-old from purchasing such a firearm, it allows for temporary possession under parental supervision for activities like hunting or target practice. The suspect was found with 44 rounds of 12-gauge birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. According to “Everyone wants to know why, including us,” Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz, At a news conference Friday. In Oregon, a 16-year-old cannot legally purchase a shotgun but may legally possess one if it was transferred or provided by a parent and may lawfully temporarily possess it for hunting, target practice or shooting sports. “We may never get that full answer, but we want it,” he said.
Investigators are now working to uncover a motive, including potential mental health factors. The shooter’s parents have been cooperative, and search warrants were executed at their home to collect electronic devices. Law enforcement sources noted that while forensics teams and the FBI are analyzing the suspect’s data, no clear motive has been identified thus far. Chief Krantz acknowledged the difficulty of the inquiry, noting that while the public demands answers, obtaining a complete explanation may be impossible. No clear motive has emerged, according to the source, based on the interviews conducted so far.
The shooter’s mother expressed her grief in an interview, describing her son as a “good boy” and stating there were no apparent warning signs. She apologized to the victims’ families, noting that she wished she could have intervened. Records indicate the suspect previously attended special needs programming at Silver Rail. During the pandemic, his mother had praised the program’s teachers for providing essential behavioral and social support that she felt her son required. The shooter’s mother spoke to off camera from her balcony but would not comment on how her son got access to the weapon. According to i’m so sorry,” the woman, As she cried and smoked a cigarette. She said, “I wish I could have done something, and in a message to the families of those killed. The program is described as being for kids with “intensive behavioral and social skills challenges.”. “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 the station.
In the aftermath, the Bend-La Pine school district has pledged a comprehensive review of its emergency protocols and safety measures as soon as the active criminal investigation allows. Superintendent Steven Cook emphasized that the district is committed to understanding the procedural gaps that occurred during the tragedy. Here’s what we know about the teenage shooter as the investigation into the tragedy plays out. Krantz warned uncovering information about the shooter and what led to the attack will take time. Nick Watt, Eric Levenson and Norma Galeana contributed to this report.
