Bend Community Grieves as Investigation Continues After Silver Rail Elementary Shooting
Goldlaner.com – Classes in Bend, Oregon, will not resume Monday as families, students and school employees mourn the deaths of three children and a teacher following Thursday’s shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School. Investigators are still working to determine why a 16-year-old former student entered the school and fired into a mixed-age special needs classroom.
Teacher Megan Lambert was killed along with 5-year-old Rhoam Summer and two other students, ages 8 and 11. At the request of their families, police have not publicly named the two older children.
Bend-La Pine Superintendent Steve Cook addressed the community in a video released Sunday, recognizing the long period of recovery facing students, families and staff.
“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.
“Our responsibilities to care for one another will continue well beyond these first days.”
How the Shooting Ended
Authorities identified the shooter as Griffin J. John II. Police say he had previously attended special needs classes at Silver Rail Elementary, though officials have not confirmed whether he was ever assigned to the classroom he targeted.
The attack ended after a teacher confronted and tackled the gunman. A bystander who had seen him enter the school followed him and then fatally shot him, police said. Because the teen died at the scene, he will not face criminal prosecution.
The shooting was the 36th incident this year involving gunfire on K-12 school grounds in the United States. The violence has renewed painful questions in Bend about school safety, firearm access and the support needed by survivors after a traumatic event.
Firearm and Evidence Review
Police Chief Mike Krantz said the gunman used a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun. He had roughly 44 rounds of ammunition left after the shooting.
Investigators interviewed the teen’s parents Thursday and searched the family home, taking computers and other electronic devices. Local investigators and the FBI are expected to examine the devices for communications, planning or other evidence that could explain what led to the attack.
The shotgun had been purchased by the shooter’s mother. The Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office has said the inquiry remains active and that more information will be released when available. It remains uncertain whether anyone else could face charges connected to the firearm or events preceding the shooting.
Oregon law bars people under 18 from purchasing a shotgun. A minor may still legally possess one when a parent, guardian, or someone acting with parental permission transfers the firearm. State law also permits temporary possession by a minor for hunting, target shooting or shooting sports.
Families Remember Those Lost
Rhoam’s father, Kelik Summer, shared the family’s grief in a message posted late Thursday to a local Facebook community group.
“Today has been the worst day of my life. My son Rhoam was killed in a school shooting,” Summer wrote.
“We are broken and lost, but are surrounded by friends and family who are keeping us safe.”
Through their attorneys, Rhoam’s parents later described their son as a loving child with a bright spirit and a wide range of hopes for the future.
“He loved rainbows and unicorns from a very young age,” the statement said.
His parents said he wanted to visit a pumpkin patch, learn to ride horses, play an instrument and dress as a bunny for Halloween. Their description underscored the ordinary childhood experiences that were abruptly taken from him.
Community and Tribal Response
John was an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the tribe confirmed Sunday. Kurtis Barker, the tribe’s CEO, offered condolences to those affected by the attack.
“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.”
For now, the closure of classes gives the school community time to mourn and begin processing the tragedy. The investigative work will continue as authorities review physical evidence, electronic records and witness accounts in an effort to establish a clearer picture of the events that preceded the shooting.
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