On Thursday, a 16‑year‑old entered Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, and fired a 12‑gauge shotgun into a classroom, killing three children aged 5, 8 and 11 and a 25‑year‑old teacher before wounding two more students and a teacher. The shooting erupted after the gunman first fired at a passing pickup truck, prompting the driver to call 911, and then forced his way through locked glass doors to reach the classroom where the victims were seated.
Shauntai Nickerson, the mother of the shooter, bought the Maverick 88 pump‑action shotgun in August 2026 and gifted it to her son for recreational use, according to CBS News sources. The weapon was legally purchased under state regulations, yet it found its way into a child’s hands, raising questions about storage practices and parental responsibility.
Police fired at John II after a 36‑year‑old bystander, Kaylub Giamanco, a Bend resident with two daughters attending the school, shot him down. Giamanco, who witnessed the gunman firing at the pickup truck, followed him into the building and engaged him, ultimately neutralizing the threat.
With the shooter dead, prosecutors are now investigating whether the school district can be held liable for failing to prevent the gun’s use on campus. Parents of the victims have hired attorneys to examine the district’s protocols, and a lawsuit is expected to be filed within the next 30 days.