Oregon School Shooting: Teacher, By‑stander Stop Teen Gunman, Four Killed

Wed Oct 21 2026 16:25:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

An 16‑year‑old shot a special‑needs class in Bend; a teacher wrestled the gun and a father with a pistol ended the attack.

In a tragic episode at Silver Rail Elementary, a 16‑year‑old former student used a shotgun to fire into a special‑needs classroom, killing three children and a teacher. The teacher, Ava Smith, tackled the gunman and tried to wrestle the weapon out of his hand, while a nearby father armed with a concealed pistol ran inside and shot the attacker. Police, officials and national leaders praised the quick actions that likely prevented a larger loss of life. The investigation continues as authorities search the suspect’s home and seek to understand how the teenager obtained the gun and his motives.

Oregon School Shooting: Teacher and By‑stander Stop Teen Gunman, Four Killed

On Thursday night the still‑quiet corridor of Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, erupted into chaos when a 16‑year‑old former student, Griffin J. John II, burst in with a shotgun and opened fire on a class of special‑needs students.

The gunman, armed with a shotgun that carried more than 40 rounds, fired up to fifteen rounds inside the classroom, killing three children and a teacher. Amid the gunfire, 44‑year‑old Ava Smith – the class teacher – shoved her phone and leapt onto the floor beside the teen. She wrestled the gun from his grip and fought to keep it from being used further, an action that police say “almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.”

Seconds later a passing father of two schoolchildren, Kaybul Giamanco, a licensed carpenter, saw the attacker’s fire from the parking lot. Armed with a concealed .40‑caliber pistol in his vehicle, he sprinted into the building, fired at John multiple times and killed the assailant. His intervention is credited with stopping the shooting before more lives could be lost.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz addressed the nation at a press conference, identifying two of the four victims: 5‑year‑old Rhoam Summer and 25‑year‑old teacher Meghan Lambert. The families of the other two children, aged eight and eleven, have asked that their names remain private. Two additional people were wounded—another teacher and a seven‑year‑old student—both in varying degrees of seriousness.

The investigation is ongoing. Police have searched John’s home and are probing how a minor acquired a shotgun and what motivated the attack. The motive remains unclear.

National leaders weighed in: President Donald Trump called the father a “great hero” and praised the quick actions that likely saved many lives. Governor Kate Kotek also acknowledged the bravery, adding that such acts come with a heavy emotional burden for those involved.

The community has begun to grieve in public vigils, with parents, teachers and residents gathering outside Silver Rail to hold candles and memorials for the victims. On‑pointinfo.news will continue to monitor the case for new developments, interview survivors, and analyze policy implications of gun access for minors in the United States.