16-Year-Old Opens Fire at Former Oregon Elementary School; Teacher Fought Attacker

On Thursday, October 15, 2026, a 16-year-old former student, Griffin J. John II, opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. The assailant, armed with a shotgun, forced his way into a special-needs classroom after first firing at a passing pickup truck outside the school. The attack tragically resulted in the deaths of three children, aged 5, 8, and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher, Megan Lambert. Additionally, a 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher, Becky Drury, sustained serious injuries.

During the incident, an unnamed teacher in the classroom exhibited remarkable bravery by throwing her phone at the shooter, tackling him, and attempting to disarm him, actions credited with preventing further casualties. Simultaneously, Kaylub Giamanco, an armed parent whose children attend the school, heard the gunfire, retrieved his legally owned .40-caliber pistol from his vehicle, and entered the school. He confronted the struggling teacher and the shooter in the classroom, firing his weapon and fatally striking the assailant.

Law enforcement arrived at the scene within minutes of the initial 911 calls, finding the shooter already deceased. The quick and courageous intervention by both the teacher and the armed parent is widely regarded as having saved more lives during the horrific event. The motive behind the shooting by the former special-needs student remains under investigation.