Oregon school shooter was 16-year-old whose mother purchased the gun he used, sources say

A 16-year-old former student, Griffin J. John II, attacked Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. Three boys, ages 5, 8, and 11, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert were killed. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were injured. The victims were in a special-needs classroom.

Police said John entered around 1 p.m. after shooting through a locked door. He fired as many as 15 rounds. A female teacher struggled with him for control of the shotgun. A bystander later shot and killed him. Police Chief Mike Krantz praised both people as heroic.

John had previously attended the school but was no longer enrolled in the district. Police and federal investigators had not publicly identified a motive. Police searched his home and collected evidence, while officials continued investigating the attack and its background.

A pump-action shotgun is a firearm whose user manually slides a fore-end back and forth to cycle ammunition. That movement ejects a spent shell and loads another one from the shotgun’s ammunition tube. The design matters because it can fire repeated shots without manually loading each shell.

Police identified the weapon as a Mossberg Maverick 88 pump-action shotgun. The article says the shooter used it during the attack and carried 44 additional rounds. A female teacher struggled with him to take control of the firearm, and he eventually threw it over a property fence.

The article focuses on the weapon’s role in the attack, not its broader technical specifications. Firearm operation and storage rules vary by jurisdiction. Safe handling requires keeping the gun secured, preventing unauthorized access, and following applicable laws and training guidance.

The attack killed four people and injured two others, making six victims in total. The dead were three boys, ages 5, 8, and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher survived with injuries. The shooter also died after being shot by a bystander.

Police said the gunman fired as many as 15 rounds inside and around the school. They said he used three types of ammunition and had 44 more rounds with him. The article also reports that he shot at a vehicle multiple times before entering the school.

These figures show both the human toll and the amount of ammunition involved. They are police-reported counts, and “as many as 15” indicates an upper estimate rather than a confirmed exact total. Investigators collected evidence during a search of the shooter’s home.

A special-needs classroom serves students who receive tailored educational support because of disabilities or learning needs. The article does not describe the classroom’s specific services. It matters here because officials said all victims were in that classroom, while the shooter had previously attended the school as a special-needs student.

Superintendent Steven Cook said John had been a special-needs student at Silver Rail Elementary School. He was not currently enrolled in the district. The victims included three boys and teacher Megan Lambert, and a 7-year-old student and 54-year-old teacher were injured.

The shared connection provides background but does not explain why the attack happened. Police and federal investigators had not publicly identified a motive. The article gives no evidence that the classroom status caused the violence, so that conclusion cannot be drawn from the reported facts.

The violence was limited by actions inside and outside the school. A female teacher struggled with the gunman for control of the firearm. Police Chief Mike Krantz said she was not injured and almost certainly prevented more bloodshed. A bystander then shot and killed the attacker.

Police said the shooter entered through a locked door after firing through it. The teacher’s intervention directly challenged his access to the shotgun. The bystander’s intervention ended the immediate threat. Krantz praised both as heroic and selfless, while also thanking school personnel for following emergency protocols.

Those protocols included lockdown, evacuation, and reunification. The article does not provide a minute-by-minute account or say exactly how each procedure unfolded. It does show that staff actions, civilian intervention, and organized emergency responses helped keep students and staff as safe as possible during the attack.

A minor can gain access to a firearm when an adult legally buys or possesses it but fails to prevent unauthorized access. The article reports that the shooter’s mother purchased the long gun around his birthday in August. It does not state whether she violated any law or how the gun was stored.

Firearm rules differ by jurisdiction. They may govern who can buy a gun, transfers to minors, possession by minors, safe storage, and reporting lost or stolen weapons. Adults who own firearms have a safety responsibility to secure them from children and other unauthorized users. Those duties can include locked storage and separate control of ammunition, depending on local law.

The mother was described as cooperative with investigators. Police searched the home and collected evidence. Determining legal responsibility would require facts about the purchase, storage, access, and applicable Oregon and federal laws. The article does not establish criminal wrongdoing by the mother.

Investigators use physical evidence and witness accounts to build a tested timeline. A search warrant allows officers to look for relevant evidence at a specified location when legal requirements are met. Items collected from a home may help connect a person to a weapon, ammunition, planning, or the sequence of events.

Here, police searched the shooter’s house and collected evidence. Investigators also had reports about the Mossberg Maverick 88, ammunition, shots at a vehicle, entry through a locked door, and the teacher’s struggle. Witnesses, including neighbors and officials, can help confirm movements and behavior. These sources can support or contradict one another.

Investigators may examine whether anyone else knowingly helped, unlawfully supplied access, or failed a legal duty. However, responsibility requires evidence and applicable law, not suspicion alone. The article says the mother cooperated, and it does not report charges or identify a motive. The investigation was continuing.