What we know about the investigation into the Bend school shooting

Bend community grieves as investigators examine deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary

Activelifezero.com – Classes across Bend-La Pine Schools will not resume Monday as the community mourns the deaths of three children and a teacher in Thursday’s shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School. Investigators are still working to establish why a 16-year-old former student entered the Oregon school and fired into a special needs classroom.

Teacher Megan Lambert was killed, along with 5-year-old Rhoam Summer and two other students, ages 8 and 11. The families of the two older children asked police not to release their names.

Superintendent Steve Cook said the district’s commitment to families, students and staff will extend far beyond the immediate aftermath.

“We hold each of them and their families and their loved ones close in our hearts as we mourn together as one community,” Cook said in a video released Sunday. “Our responsibilities to care for one another will continue well beyond these first days.”

What investigators know so far

Police identified the shooter as Griffin J. John II. Officials said he had previously attended special needs classes at Silver Rail Elementary, though they have not confirmed whether he had been assigned to the classroom targeted in the attack.

Four adults and five children were inside the mixed-age classroom when the gunman forced his way into the building and opened fire. The attack ended after a teacher tackled him. A bystander who saw the teenager enter the school and followed him then fatally shot him, police said.

Because the alleged shooter died at the scene, he will not face criminal prosecution. The wider investigation remains active, including questions about the firearm and whether any other person could face charges.

Deschutes County prosecutors said Monday that they would provide further information when it becomes available. The office has not announced whether charges are being considered against the shooter’s mother, who purchased the gun used in the attack.

Firearm and digital evidence under review

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the shooter used a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun. He had roughly 44 rounds of ammunition remaining after the shooting.

Oregon law bars people under 18 from purchasing a shotgun. A minor may, however, possess one when it is transferred by a parent or guardian, or by someone acting with parental consent. State law also permits temporary possession for activities including hunting, target practice and shooting sports.

Investigators interviewed the teenager’s parents Thursday, and police described them as cooperative. Authorities searched the family’s home and collected computers and other electronic devices. Local investigators and the FBI will seek access to those materials as they look for communications, searches or other evidence that could help explain the events leading up to the shooting.

The effort to determine motive remains central to the case. Investigators have not publicly identified a specific grievance, warning sign or connection to those who were inside the classroom.

Families remember those lost

Rhoam Summer’s father, Kelik Summer, wrote about his son’s death in a Facebook community group late Thursday.

“Today has been the worst day of my life. My son Rhoam was killed in a school shooting,” he wrote. “We are broken and lost, but are surrounded by friends and family who are keeping”

The post reflected the shock felt throughout Bend, where students, educators and families are now facing a loss that reached into a classroom designed to support children with special needs.

John was an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. Tribal CEO Kurtis Barker offered condolences to everyone affected by the shooting.

“The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is heartbroken by the tragic loss of life at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend,” Barker said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones and hold in our thoughts those who were injured, the students and staff who experienced this unimaginable tragedy, and the entire Bend community as they grieve.”

School reopening and security plans

Police expect to return Silver Rail Elementary to the school district Monday. Other Bend-La Pine schools are scheduled to reopen Wednesday, when officers will be present in and around campuses for the foreseeable future.

The district’s decision to pause classes gives families and staff time to grieve and allows officials to prepare for students’ return. The visible law-enforcement presence is intended to provide support as school communities resume routines under unusually painful circumstances.

The Silver Rail attack was the 36th shooting this year on K-12 school grounds in the United States. As the investigation continues, the immediate focus in Bend remains on supporting the families of those killed, the survivors of the classroom attack, and the educators and students returning to school after the tragedy.