The report identifies the suspect in Thursday’s shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, as John J. Griffin II, 16. A photograph of Griffin was reportedly taken from his mother’s Facebook page and posted on September 10. The woman was identified as Shauntai May Nickerson. Social media posts from Libs of TikTok and the New York Post circulated images after Griffin was identified.
BREAKING: Uncovered photo of Oregon school shooter John Griffin pic.twitter.com/M9I2jxrrr1
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 16, 2026
https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2111166893499224065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
According to the report, Griffin was stopped by 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, whose children attend the school. Giamanco was reportedly driving home during his lunch break when he saw Griffin enter the building with a firearm. He went inside and fatally shot Griffin. The source describes him as an armed father who intervened, a detail that will inevitably reignite the familiar debate over whether responsible, armed citizens can stop violent attacks when seconds matter.
The reported weapon was a Maverick 88, 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that Griffin’s mother had previously purchased it. The report says Griffin threw the shotgun over the school fence at about 1 p.m., climbed over, and tried to enter through the front doors. Two bystanders reportedly blocked him there. He then went to the back of the building and shot at the door locks, which had been designed to help prevent an intrusion.
Inside, Griffin reportedly moved toward a special education classroom where he may once have been a student. The attack killed three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, along with a teacher. A 7-year-old child in a wheelchair was critically injured after being shot in the face, and a 54-year-old teacher was also wounded. Griffin’s motive has not been revealed.
Griffin’s mother told CNN, “he was a good boy.” She also said, “I miss my boy. I’m so sorry,” and added, “I’m so sorry, I wish I could have done something. I’m sorry for their loss,” in a message to the parents of those killed. She said there had been no warning signs and declined to comment on how Griffin obtained access to the shotgun.
A senior law enforcement official told CNN that Griffin’s parents were interviewed and cooperative. The parents reportedly told investigators that their son had attended Silver Rail Elementary School, but officials have not publicly confirmed that detail. Past reports suggest the special education classroom may have been one he attended in 2020. During the COVID pandemic, his mother also spoke with CNN affiliate KTVZ about in-person classes for students with special needs.
The source also references a separate report about President Trump responding, but it does not provide the substance of that response. For now, the reported account identifies the suspect, describes the intervention by Giamanco, and leaves the motive and several questions about Griffin’s access to the weapon unresolved. The internet can turn a developing case into a courtroom before lunch, but online certainty is not a substitute for official confirmation.
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