Bend, Oregon school shooting suspect identified
Children killed in Oregon mass shooting identified
Police are investigating after a 16-year-old armed with a long gun opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and one teacher, according to police. A 7-year-old child and another teacher were also injured and taken to a hospital. The shooter was shot and killed by a community bystander.
BEND, Ore. - A suspect was killed after a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, authorities confirmed.
Three children ages 5, 8 and 11 and a teacher were killed in the shooting, police said. Another 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were wounded and were taken to a hospital in critical condition.
About the Oregon school shooting suspect
What we know:
On Friday, the suspect was identified as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II.
John fired as many as 15 shots from a 12-gauge shotgun and had about 44 rounds remaining when he was killed, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said during a press conference.
According to officials, the suspect previously attended Silverdale Elementary. While answering reporters' questions, officials confirmed that the attacked classroom was a special needs classroom, and the suspect was previously a special needs student in that school.
Police tape blocks access to Silver Rail Elementary School a day after a shooting at the school in Bend, Oregon, on October 16, 2026. (Credit: Payton Bruni / AFP via Getty Images)
It is believed that he traveled to the school on foot, but that route remains under investigation.
A motive, along with how the suspect received the weapon and ammunition, also remain part of the active criminal investigation.
"Everyone wants to know why, including us," Krantz said. "We may never get that full answer, but we want it."
According to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting, the attacker used a pump-action shotgun bought by his mother. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation. Under Oregon law, a minor may possess a shotgun if provided by a parent or by someone else with the parent’s consent.
Oregon school shooting latest
The backstory:
Authorities received a call about a shot fired into a car outside Silver Rail Elementary at 12:59 p.m. and arrived on scene within minutes. Further 911 calls came from inside the school, authorities said.
FILE - Map and locator of Bend, Oregon.
The attacker was shot and went down inside the school soon after police arrived, a spokesperson said.
Officials said the shooter forced their way into the school by shooting at locked doors. The offender was killed by an armed bystander with a concealed carry permit, according to FOX News.
RELATED: 3 children, 1 adult killed after shooting at Oregon elementary school: Report
The school in Bend, Oregon, which is more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Portland, had 459 enrolled students as of last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education. The school serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
The shooting was the 28th mass killing in the U.S. this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, FOX News and previous FOX Local reporting. This story was reported from Los Angeles.