New details are emerging about the 16-year-old who went on a killing spree at an elementary school in Oregon, killing three children—ages 5, 8, and 11—and a teacher.
The teenager, described by his neighbors as lonely and withdrawn, stormed into Silver Rail Elementary School in the city of Bend, at noon on Thursday (October 15), before being shot and killed by a 36-year-old father of two students, who chased him inside the building. One other child and a teacher were also injured in the attack, while authorities are still investigating the shooter’s motives.
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“He was really a loner”—What neighbors say about the 16-year-old
The perpetrator, identified as Griffin J. John, was a former student at Silver Rail Elementary School, according to police.
His neighbors, speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), described a teenager who avoided social interaction and spent most of his time at home.
“He was really a loner,” said one of them, asking to remain anonymous.
“I always saw him dressed in black, looking gloomy and with his head down. He never said good morning and seemed very withdrawn,” he added.
According to neighbors, the 16-year-old lived with his mother, and the two were rarely seen outside the house.
“The house was always quiet, as if no one lived there. They would come and go very hurriedly,” said another neighbor.
A woman who lives in the area said she never imagined the teenager could have access to a firearm.
“The house has wooden walls. He could have fired in this direction, and who knows what might have happened,” she noted.
Another resident reported seeing police officers with the shooter’s mother, who was crying after the incident.
“It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that a neighbor of yours could do something like that,” he said.
These accounts reflect the image the neighbors had formed of the 16-year-old, though they do not explain the reasons that led him to carry out the attack.
The 36-year-old father who chased down and shot the assailant
Crucial to ending the attack was the intervention of 36-year-old Kalub Giamanco, the father of two girls who attend that elementary school.
JUST IN: The man who stopped the school shooting in Bend, Oregon, has been identified as 36-year-old Kalub Giamanco. Giamanco, a carpenter, was reportedly driving home for lunch when he heard gunshots. After hearing the gunshots, Giamanco, who has a concealed carry permit, followed the suspect into the school. He then shot and killed 16-year-old John J Griffin moments after the teen opened fire into a special education classroom. Giamanco, who has two children of his own who attend the school, is family friends with one of the victims, a 7-year-old who uses a wheelchair and was shot in the face. The 7-year-old survived and is in the hospital. Three children at Silver Rail Elementary School were killed. Their ages are 5, 8, and 11. According to Giamanco’s brother, Giamanco doesn’t feel like a hero because he feels guilty for not being able to save more children. FOLLOW ME THE NEXT DROP WILL BE SHOCKING
— Eagle Signal Usa🇺🇸 (@EagleSignalUsa) October 17, 2026
According to the New York Post, the man was near the school when he heard the gunshots and realized what was happening.
Instead of running away, he entered the building in pursuit of the armed teenager and managed to shoot him fatally before the police arrived.
The course of the operation was also captured in police radio communications, which were made public via the Broadcastify platform.
“It appears the suspect has been neutralized—he was likely shot by a father inside the school. We have no information on injuries at this time. The police are arriving,” can be heard in one of the communications from the operations center.
Bend Police Chief Mike Kranz described the citizen’s intervention: “A member of the community who had seen the suspect enter the school chased him inside the building and confronted him.”
Police officers who entered the school found that the 16-year-old was already dead.
According to a subsequent statement from authorities, a teacher had also attempted to stop the perpetrator by throwing her cell phone at him and trying to immobilize him. Her intervention, combined with that of the father, is believed to have prevented an even greater tragedy.
Four people were killed Thursday when a 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. Three of the people killed were children, aged 5, 8 and 11, as well as a teacher, authorities said. Here’s what police have shared so far: https://t.co/q2fdcSEhbV https://t.co/1B6RTMx1CL
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 16, 2026
How the school attack unfolded – The shooting in the parking lot
The bloody incident began shortly before 1 p.m. on Thursday, when the 16-year-old arrived at the school armed.
According to reports, he initially confronted the driver of a Toyota Tacoma in the parking lot.
The teenager opened fire on the vehicle, shattering the rear window and causing multiple bullet holes.
Video taken by a person whose truck shot multiple times by the Silver Rail Elementary School shooter in Bend, Oregon. https://t.co/5likBe02By
— GЯЕУ (@imactuallyhugee) October 16, 2026
He then headed toward the school building and fired at the locked doors to gain access inside, where he attacked students and teachers.
According to reports in the U.S. media, the 16-year-old used a hunting rifle that his mother had purchased. Authorities are investigating how he managed to gain access to it.
At that moment, Giamanco was returning from lunch when he heard gunshots and realized the gunman was there.
The 36-year-old rushed to the school, followed the shooter, and eventually shot him, putting an end to the attack.
Three children and a teacher were killed by the 16-year-old’s gunfire, while a 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were injured and taken to the hospital. Initial reports indicated that both were in serious condition, while a later update stated that the teacher’s injuries were not life-threatening.
Source: Proto Thema
