Oregon school shooting kills teacher and three children in Bend classroom attack

Teacher Meghan Lambert, 25, and three pupils aged five, eight and 11 died in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon.

Teacher Meghan Lambert named among four dead in Bend, Oregon school shooting

Meghan Lambert, a 25-year-old teacher described by her family as someone who "always fought for the underdog and those with special needs", has been identified as one of four people killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, Dublin Live reports.

Griffin John II, 16, a special educational needs pupil at the school, allegedly opened fire on Thursday afternoon, killing Lambert and three children aged five, eight and 11. A 54-year-old teacher and a seven-year-old pupil remain hospitalised; the child's condition is described as serious but stable.

Lambert's family said she was "compassionate and had a huge heart" and that teaching at Silver Rail was her "dream job" — a position in the very district where she had grown up. "Meghan loved those children," her family said in a tribute.

The five-year-old victim has been named as Rhoam Summer. His grandfather, Bryan Jolly, told the New York Times the family were still reeling. "He was very bright and very mischievous and very fun-loving, and totally without fear," Jolly said. "The whole thing is senseless, and a shock." The identities of the eight- and 11-year-old victims have not been publicly released, police confirmed.

The attack was brought to an end through the intervention of a colleague and a passing motorist. According to police, the teacher hurled her mobile phone at the gunman before wrestling him to the classroom floor. A bystander, believed to be a father of two daughters at the school, had been driving past when he witnessed the suspect firing in the car park and then shooting through a window to enter the building. The bystander, who was carrying a handgun, rushed inside and shot the attacker while he and the teacher were still grappling on the floor. Neither the teacher nor the bystander sustained injuries.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz praised both individuals for their courage, stating the teacher's actions had "almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed". "To the people who showed courage in the face of such violence and intervened to prevent this tragedy from being any worse, we owe you a debt of gratitude," Krantz said.

Detectives are examining the suspect's residence as officers work to establish how he obtained the weapon. Police recovered 44 additional rounds of shotgun ammunition from the shooter after he was detained.

Source: Dublin Live