Oregon elementary school shooting kills four, including 5-year-old and teacher

A 16-year-old gunman opened fire in a special needs classroom at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, killing three children and a teacher. An armed bystander fatally shot the attacker.

Victims named after deadly shooting at Bend elementary school

Four people — three children and a 25-year-old teacher — were killed Thursday when a teenage gunman opened fire in a special needs classroom at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, NBC News reports. An armed bystander shot and killed the attacker, ending the rampage.

Among the dead was Rhoam Summer, a 5-year-old boy with long, curly hair. His father, Kelik Summer, posted to a Facebook group that same night. "My son Rhoam was killed in a school shooting," he wrote. "We are broken and lost, but are surrounded by friends and family who are keeping us safe."

Officials declined to publicly name the other two slain children, ages 8 and 11, at their families' request.

The killed teacher was identified by her family on Friday as Megan Lambert, a 25-year-old central Oregon native and Boise State University graduate. Lambert had worked as a substitute teacher before securing a full-time position at Silver Rail. "She loved Silver Rail," her family said in a statement read at an afternoon news conference. "This was her dream job."

Lambert was also an active volleyball coach with the Central Oregon Volleyball Club. In her first year as a coach, she declined to accept a salary so that girls from lower-income families could participate. "She always fought for the underdog and those with special needs," her family said.

A 7-year-old boy injured in the attack was stabilised in serious condition at a hospital, according to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz. The child, who uses a wheelchair, was shot in the face and was recovering from surgery, according to Kyle Giamanco, who said he is a friend of the child's family. Another teacher, Becky Drury, 54, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Her husband issued a statement thanking supporters. "Right now, our focus is on my wife, Becky, and her recovery," he wrote. "We respectfully ask for privacy and space as we navigate the days ahead."

The attack began just before 1 p.m. Krantz said the shooter scaled a perimeter fence, fired at and broke through a set of double doors, then entered Lambert's classroom and opened fire. A second teacher, who was not named by police, threw a mobile phone at the gunman and tackled him during the attack. Krantz said she "almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed." That teacher was uninjured.

The armed bystander who shot the gunman entered the classroom while the attacker and the unnamed teacher were engaged in a physical struggle, Krantz said.

Kyle Giamanco identified his brother, Kaylub Giamanco, 36, as the man who stopped the gunman. Kaylub is a father of two children who attend Silver Rail Elementary. "He is a hero," Kyle told NBC News, "but he doesn't feel like one." Kyle said his brother cannot get the images of the children out of his head and feels guilty that he did not save more people.

The shooter, a 16-year-old, had previously been a special needs student at the same school, Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook confirmed at the news conference. A possible motive remained under investigation.

Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler addressed the community Thursday. "A school should be a safe place where children can learn and feel secure," she said. "What happened today should never happen."

Two community vigils have since been held as residents gathered to grieve and share details about those lost in the attack.

Source: Google News MT