Teacher, 25, Among 4 Killed in Oregon School Shooting — New Details About the Final Minutes

Teacher, 25, Among 4 Killed in Oregon School Shooting — New Details About the Final Minutes

School picture day was scheduled at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Shortly before 1 p.m., a 16-year-old student opened fire at the school, killing three boys, ages 5, 8, and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher. A seven-year-old girl and another educator were seriously injured.

Bend-La Pine Schools canceled classes, activities, and athletic events across the district on Friday, October 16.

Police officers and ambulances responded as parents sought information about their children. Angela Nuchols, whose daughter attended Silver Rail, described seeing officers carrying rifles and wearing tactical equipment before she was reunited with her child.

Kayla Major was working nearby when she learned that an active shooter was inside her son’s school. She waited four and a half hours before learning that her fifth-grader was safe.

Journey Church in Bend opened as a reunification center, providing a location for children and families to reconnect away from the school.

Major later reflected on the school photographs scheduled for that day, a detail that took on added significance as families learned who had died.

Remembering the Victims

The victims included three boys and a 25-year-old teacher. Their families and friends remembered them for their interests, relationships, and contributions to their community.

Rhoam Summer, 5 — Remembered for His Care for Animals

Rhoam loved sharks, dinosaurs, and stuffed animals. His family described him as energetic and attentive to the creatures and toys he cared for.

His aunt, Swan Sheridan, said, “He never met a stuffie that he didn’t think needed to be rescued and cared for.”

Rhoam especially liked rainbow-colored sea creatures and described sharks and dinosaurs as “misunderstood,” according to his aunt.

His grandfather, Brad Jolly, remembered him riding his scooter through the house, reading books together, and giving him a hug before leaving.

Rhoam’s father, Kelik Summer, described October 15 as “the worst day of my life” and said the family was struggling with the loss.

Friends and neighbors organized a fundraising campaign to support Rhoam’s parents and help them remain with family during the aftermath.

The relatives of two other boys who died requested that their names and photographs not be made public.

Two Boys, 8 and 11 — Families Request Privacy

Two additional boys, ages eight and eleven, were killed in the shooting. Their relatives asked that their names remain private.

Authorities have respected those requests. Both boys were killed inside the special education classroom where the shooting occurred.

Saylor Graham, 7 — Recovering From Serious Injuries

Seven-year-old Saylor Graham survived the shooting but sustained serious injuries. Her family described her as a “feisty, loving child.”

Her parents remained with her during treatment, while friends organized donations to help with medical and travel expenses. Both parents are self-employed, adding financial and logistical challenges as they focused on her recovery.

On October 16, police said Saylor was being treated at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and was in serious but stable condition.

A first-grade boy also survived after a teacher took him out of the classroom for a bathroom visit. When the shooting began, the teacher and child sheltered beneath a table in a nearby office until the immediate danger had passed.

Becky Drury, 54 — Recovering After Being Shot

Becky Drury, 54, an educational assistant who worked with children needing additional support, was shot in her left arm and right hand. She underwent surgery and was expected to require additional treatment.

Her husband, Will Drury, thanked the community for its support as the family focused on her recovery.

Becky was among 77 district employees recognized in 2023 through Bend-La Pine Schools’ Excellence in Education Awards.

Another educator, Megan Lambert, was killed in the shooting.

Megan Lambert, 25 — A Teacher at the Start of Her Career

Megan Lambert grew up in Bend and wanted to teach children in her hometown. At 25, she had recently obtained her first regular teaching position at Silver Rail Elementary.

After graduating from Boise State University, she worked as a substitute teacher before securing the position.

Her family said teaching was her “dream job” and described her as someone who cared deeply about children and students needing additional support.

Megan graduated from Mountain View High School in Bend in 2019 and completed her studies at Boise State University in 2023.

She also coached volleyball. During her first season, she gave up her coaching pay so children whose families could not afford the fees could participate.

Her family described her as compassionate, funny, and outspoken, saying she “always fought for the underdog.”

Central Oregon Volleyball Club described Megan as a coach who “puts her whole heart into her team.”

Before becoming a teacher, Megan explored photography and journalism as a student intern at a local publication. She ultimately chose education and returned to Bend to begin her career.

Her relatives remembered her as a daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, and friend. She was 25 and had only recently begun the career she had hoped to pursue.

As investigators reconstructed the shooting, they described actions taken by several people inside and outside the school, including a teacher who confronted the attacker.

The gunman’s mother also spoke publicly about her son.

Investigators Examine How the Gunman Obtained the Weapon

Police identified the gunman as Griffin J. John II, a 16-year-old who had previously attended Silver Rail Elementary. He had been a special education student there but was no longer enrolled when he returned on October 15.

Investigators had not established a motive. They said the shotgun had been purchased by his mother, although police had not confirmed how he obtained access to it.

The teenager’s identity became public after a police news conference on October 16. Authorities later clarified the order of his name after some early reports listed it incorrectly.

Reporters also spoke with the gunman’s mother, Shauntai May Nickerson.

The Gunman’s Mother Speaks

Nickerson said she was struggling to understand what her son had done.

“I think he was a good boy,” she said, referring to the child she had raised.

She expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and said she wished she could have prevented the shooting. She said she had not recognized signs that he might carry out such an attack.

Police continued examining evidence from the teenager’s home, including electronic devices, as they investigated the motive and circumstances.

Investigators also described how people at the scene responded before the shooting ended.

A Parent Confronted the Gunman

Shortly before 1 p.m., a driver in a red pickup truck saw the teenager approaching the school with a shotgun. When the driver confronted him, the teenager fired several shots at the truck.

The driver was not injured and called 911. Another man, Kaylub Giamanco, also saw what was happening. Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter, had two daughters at Silver Rail Elementary.

Giamanco retrieved a legally stored pistol from his vehicle and followed the teenager toward the building. The teenager had climbed over the school fence and then fired through the locked entrance doors to get inside.

He entered a classroom for children with special educational needs and opened fire.

A Teacher Tried to Disarm the Attacker

According to police, one teacher threw her cellphone at the teenager, moved toward him, and tried to take the shotgun.

The teacher and the teenager struggled on the floor. Giamanco then reached the classroom and fired his pistol, fatally wounding the teenager.

The teacher survived without physical injury. Police Chief Mike Krantz described her actions as “true heroism.”

This teacher was not Megan Lambert. Police had not publicly confirmed what Megan did during the final moments of the shooting.

The first emergency call came at approximately 12:59 p.m., and police learned that the gunman was dead at about 1:02 p.m.

Giamanco’s family said he was not seeking public recognition. His mother, Kenda Freeman, thanked first responders and school staff who assisted during the emergency.

After the shooting ended, families continued waiting for information. Some parents were reunited with their children, while others learned that their children or loved ones had died.

The school photographs scheduled for that day became another source of concern for families.

School Photographs Became a Difficult Reminder

After the shooting, Major reflected on the photographs that some students may have taken that day. She wrote that some images could have been made “on the very day their lives were taken from them.”

On October 16, residents gathered for a vigil in Bend as the community mourned the victims.

Authorities had not confirmed whether the children who died had been photographed before the shooting. For families who received such images, the photographs could become reminders of the last ordinary hours before the attack.

Major urged people to support one another, check on neighbors and friends, and remain attentive to children and families affected by the shooting.

“Because today, some parents are going home without theirs.”