A teacher threw her phone at the teenage gunman who killed four people at an Oregon elementary school, then tackled and fought with him. A father who followed the gunman, Griffin J. John II, into the building fatally shot the 16-year-old former student, police said Friday. The shooter’s mother, Shauntai Nickerson, has already spoken out following the incident. Meanwhile, on social media, some users are calling for Nickerson’s arrest given the investigation into how John II obtained the gun used in the shooting.
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Details About The School Shooting
City of Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz called the teacher’s actions “heroic” during a news conference and said she was not injured. The 16-year-old attacker shot all of the victims in the same classroom. He attacked a classroom with special needs students. Three children — ages 5, 8 and 11 — and teacher Megan Lambert, 25, died, police said. A 7-year-old child who was injured received lifesaving care at the scene. The child is now hospitalized, as is 54-year-old teacher Becky Drury. Drury’s family said the gunman shot her in the arm and hand. She is recovering from surgery.
John II fired as many as 15 shots from a 12-gauge shotgun and had about 44 rounds remaining when he died, Krantz said. Police are still digging into a motive behind the attack.
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“Everyone wants to know why, including us,” the police chief said. “We may never get that full answer, but we want it.”
The first 911 call came from the driver of a red pickup truck early Thursday (Oct. 15) afternoon. The driver saw the boy throw his gun over a fence outside the school and then climb over it, Chief Krantz said. The driver yelled at the boy, who fired at him, striking the truck three times. The bullets did not injure the driver.
A second driver, Kaylub Giamanco saw John shooting at the truck and heading toward the school, where he shot through locked doors to get inside. The 36-year-old man has children who attend Silver Rail Elementary School. Giamanco pulled into the parking lot, grabbed his .40-caliber pistol and followed the attacker inside. He saw John wrestling with the teacher and shot him several times, fatally wounding him.
Mom Reportedly Purchased Gun 16-Year-Old Used In Attack
Investigators are trying to determine how the 16-year-old teen obtained the pump-action shotgun, Krantz added. However, a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press it was bought by his mother, Shauntai Nickerson. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.
Shauntai Nickerson told reporters outside her apartment near the school that if she could have done something to prevent the shooting, she would have.
“I miss my boy,” Nickerson said, sobbing and crying, according to The New York Times and CNN. “I’m so sorry, I wish I could have done something. I’m sorry for their loss.”
Despite the comment from the law enforcement official, Nickerson declined to say how the 16-year-old obtained the pump-action shotgun. Also, she didn’t comment further when The Associated Press and other outlets knocked on her apartment door later.
Shauntai Nickerson Previously Spoke Of Son’s Behavioral Challenges
Moreover, Griffin J. John II was once a special needs student at Silver Rail Elementary, authorities said. In a 2020 interview with the local news station KTVZ, Shauntai Nickerson identified the gunman. At the time, he was 10 and a participant in a special-needs program run by the school district. It was called NEST, for Nurturing Empathy, Safety and Trust and aimed at helping students experiencing intensive behavioral and social skill challenges. Nickerson said he struggled trying to learn from home during the pandemic.
Social Media Wants An Arrest
And at the top of the list of who should be arrested? The teen gunman’s mother, according to social media users weighing in on the Oregon school shooting. This stance is being amplified across platforms as more details about the young shooter and his victims emerge. Keep scrolling to see relevant reactions shared on Threads.
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Associated Press writers and reporters Haven Daley, Safiyah Riddle, Gene Johnson, Alanna Durkin Richer, Eric Tucker, Ben Finley, Jamie Stengle, Ed White, Philip Marcelo and John Seewer contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
