Silver Rail Elementary School Shooter Identified as Griffin John

Authorities have identified Griffin J. John II as the suspect in the Oct. 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School that resulted in the deaths of three children and a teacher, and the critical injuries of another teacher and student.

Speaking at a press release Friday afternoon at Bend Municipal Court, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told a scrum of local and national reporters that he would “only say the shooter’s name once.” Krantz said John arrived at the school on foot, yet the exact route is a part of the open and active investigation.

John Griffin, previously attended Silver Rail. This is his yearbook photo from around 2020. Credit: Silver Rail Elementary year book.

In the special needs classroom, the first and last classroom John entered during his shooting spree, the 16-year-old shooter was shot several times by an armed bystander, who’d pursued John into the school after witnessing the 16-year-old shooting at a previous witness, driving a red truck, who’d confronted him. That initial bystander was not injured, authorities said.

The bystander, 36, told investigators he heard shooting and saw the shooter struggling with a teacher, who’d thrown her phone at the attacker and tackled him. That teacher was uninjured, police said.

Krantz declined to name the bystander who shot and killed John in the special needs classroom, only stating the good Samaritan, who was not injured, fired his legal .40 caliber pistol several times at John, killing him.

The man’s mother, however, identified the bystander as Kaylub Giamanco, while making a statement on Friday. Giamanco is the father of two Silver Rail students and lives a few blocks from the school.

“He is not seeking recognition,” Kenda Freeman said, reading the statement from her phone. “But instead wishes to express gratitude to the first responders, school personnel and community for the outpouring of love and support.”

Investigators serviced a search warrant of John’s home; police declined to say whether his parents were cooperative with the investigation. They also declined to confirm early reports that the gun had been purchased by John’s mother.

The gun that John used in the shooting is a Maverick 88 12-gauge. Krantz said John fired three types of ammunition: bird and buck shot and slugs. The shooter was able to enter the locked school doors by shooting out the locks, Krantz said. In John’s backpack and on his person, authorities recovered 44 additional slugs and cartridges.

A Bend PD school resource officer, who’s responsible for the safety of six or seven additional Bend-La Pine schools, was at a nearby school at the time of the Silver Rails shooting, police said.

Authorities will relinquish the crime scene in Silver Rail on Oct. 20, but Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said the school district will stay closed for an undetermined amount of time. Cook told the Source that where Silver Rail students would resume the school year is unclear at this time.

The school district practices live shooter drills twice a year, Cook said.

“Rest assured,” Cook added. “We will take a hard look at everything and that we have done, and what more needs to be done to ensure that our students, our staff, and our families are safe in our schools.”

Victims and survivors

Authorities gave updates on the conditions of the two injured. The 54-year-old teacher is being treated at St. Charles Medical Center with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Her family gave authorities permission to identify her as Bend resident Becky Drury. A 7-year-old student is in stable condition while receiving care at OHSU.

The family of Rhoam Summer, 5, released his name and this photo through Bend PD on Oct. 16.

At the request of the family, authorities identified Rhoam Summer as the 5-year-old boy killed in the shooting. The other child victims were ages 8 and 11. As of press time, more than $104,000 had been raised on the crowd-funding site Meal Train for the Summer family.

Among those killed was Megan Lambert, a Silver Rail educational assistant. Lambert had worked as a substitute teacher at the school before recently being hired full time. It was “her dream job,” the Lambert family wrote in a statement read by the authorities.

Lambert also coached with Central Oregon Volleyball Club. The club’s online about-page, features a tribute to each coach. Lambert’s reads: “Coach Megan is truly a blessing and did so much for her team! Megan pushes her team to be their very best and is committed to their success and growth throughout the season! Megan puts her whole heart into her team!”

Lambert also has a connection with the Source. In 2017, while a student at Mountain View High School, she interned with our newsroom, doing photography and other tasks, including helping with the Source’s 20^th anniversary issue, for which she was mentioned in a Source Instagram post in August 2017.

Megan Lambert, a Silver Rail educational assistant died at the Oct. 15 shooting. Lambert also interned at the Source while a high school student.

An online petition, calling for Giamanco to be granted the key to the city by the Bend City Council and Mayor Melanie Kebler — “if and when he and his family are ready to accept it” — was launched Friday afternoon by Jacob Derman, a local attorney with no relation to Giamanco.

At a press conference hours after the Oct. 15 shooting, Gov. Tina Kotek said her thoughts were with Giamanco, calling his actions heroic. President Donald Trump echoed that sentiment at a press conference Friday.

Sheila Miller, the Bend PD spokesperson, confirmed that Griffin is the shooter’s first name, not last, as misreported previously by national outlets such as CNN and The New York Times.

Authorities urge those with tips regarding the Silver Rail shooting to contact the FBI hotline: 1-800-CALL FBI or visit fbi.gov/silverrailschool

A note from Bend PD:

We are asking the public for their assistance in helping us determine how the suspect got to Silver Rail Elementary School. Please review any video footage you may have from between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. We are looking for video evidence specifically in the area between Third Street and Brosterhous Road, as well as in the area of Silver Rail Elementary School, of a teenage male, approximately 6 feet tall and 140 pounds, wearing black pants, a black T-shirt and a black backpack. If you find video that you believe is helpful, you can follow this link https://bendpdor.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/silverrail and submit it.