What we know about the 16-year-old who opened fire at his former elementary school, killing 4 in a special needs classroom

Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images

Authorities are investigating what led a 16-year-old shooter to force entry into his former elementary school in Bend, Oregon, and fire into a special needs classroom on Thursday, killing three children and a young teacher.

“Everyone wants to know why, including us,” Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said at a news conference Friday.

The shooter, identified by police as Griffin J. John II, had climbed over the Silver Rail Elementary School campus fence around 1 p.m. before firing at a witness in a pickup truck who verbally confronted him, according to Bend police.

The suspect then forced his way into the school by firing into the glass panes of an external set of double doors, police said. He fired multiple rounds into the special needs classroom that included students of mixed ages. A teacher attempted to disarm the shooter and a 36-year-old parent ultimately fatally shot John with a pistol.

The stream of gunfire left three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher dead. Two others, a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher, sustained critical injuries.

Police are now investigating a potential motive in the shooting, including if there were any mental health concerns or warning signs, according to Krantz.

The shooter’s parents were interviewed on Thursday and were cooperative with investigators, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN. Authorities also searched the shooter’s home Thursday, with investigators recovering computers and other electronic devices, according to the source.

Here’s what we know about the teenage shooter as the investigation into the tragedy plays out:

John used a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun in the attack, Krantz said. The gun had been purchased by his mother, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN earlier Friday.

Three types of ammunition were used by the gunman over the course of the shooting: 12-gauge birdshot, buckshot and slugs, according to Krantz. John had about 44 remaining rounds of ammunition, Krantz said.

In Oregon, a 16-year-old cannot legally purchase a shotgun but may legally possess one if it was transferred or provided by a parent and may lawfully temporarily possess it for hunting, target practice or shooting sports.

The shooter’s mother spoke to CNN off camera from her balcony but would not comment on how her son got access to the weapon. Authorities say that is still under investigation.

“I miss my boy. I’m so sorry,” the woman said as she cried and smoked a cigarette.

And in a message to the families of those killed, she said, “I wish I could have done something. I’m sorry for their loss.”

John’s mother told CNN, “He was a good boy,” and there were no warning signs before the shooting unfolded.

Officials said the shooter previously attended special needs classes at Silver Rail but could not confirm whether he had been a student in that particular classroom.

During the pandemic, his mother spoke with CNN affiliate KTVZ about how she hoped the in-person classes for special needs kids will resume. The program is described as being for kids with “intensive behavioral and social skills challenges.”

The mother, who works as a health aide at a local nursing home, had told KTVZ her then 10-year-old son had struggled learning from home and was looking forward to returning to school in 2020.

“I think it will be great for my son to get the help that he needs from the skilled teachers that he needs to get it from,” she told the station.

CNN has reached out to the program for comment.

Additional warrants have been obtained to retrieve data from the devices, a law enforcement source told CNN. Local investigators and the FBI will work to access John’s devices and determine whether there is a trail that leads to the shooting.

Based on the interviews conducted so far, no clear motive has emerged, according to the source.

Meanwhile, the district will begin an investigation into its emergency response procedures, safety planning and other aspects related to the shooting at the school as soon as they are allowed to by law enforcement, Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said at a news conference Friday.

Krantz warned uncovering information about the shooter and what led to the attack will take time.

“We may never get that full answer, but we want it,” he said.

CNN’s Nick Watt, Eric Levenson and Norma Galeana contributed to this report.

Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images

当局正在调查是什么原因导致一名 16 岁的枪手强行闯入他在俄勒冈州本德市的母校小学，并于周四向一间特殊教育教室开枪，造成三名儿童和一名年轻教师死亡。

“每个人都想知道为什么，包括我们自己，”本德警察局长迈克·克兰茨在周五的新闻发布会上说。

据本德警方称，枪手被警方确认为格里芬·J·约翰二世，他于下午 1 点左右翻越了银轨小学的校园围栏，然后向一辆皮卡车上的目击者开枪，目击者当时与他进行了口头上的对峙。

警方称，嫌疑人随后强行闯入学校，他向学校外侧双扇门的玻璃窗开枪。他向一间特殊教育教室连开数枪，教室里有不同年龄段的学生。一名教师试图缴械，但最终一名36岁的家长用手枪击毙了约翰。

枪击事件造成三名儿童（分别为5岁、8岁和11岁）和一名25岁的教师死亡。另有两人，一名7岁的儿童和一名54岁的教师，身受重伤。

据克兰茨称，警方目前正在调查这起枪击事件的潜在动机，包括是否存在任何精神健康问题或预警信号。

据一位了解案情的高级执法官员向CNN透露，枪手的父母周四接受了问询，并配合了调查人员的工作。该官员还表示，当局周四搜查了枪手的住所，并缴获了电脑和其他电子设备。

随着对这起悲剧的调查深入，我们目前了解到的关于这名青少年枪手的信息如下：

克兰茨说，约翰在袭击中使用了一支 Maverick 88 型泵动式 12 号口径霰弹枪。一位了解此案的高级执法官员周五早些时候告诉 CNN，这支枪是他母亲购买的。

据克兰茨称，枪手在枪击过程中使用了三种弹药：12号鸟弹、鹿弹和独头弹。克兰茨说，约翰当时还剩下大约44发子弹。

在俄勒冈州，16 岁的青少年不能合法购买霰弹枪，但如果霰弹枪是由父母转让或提供的，则可以合法拥有，并且可以合法地暂时拥有霰弹枪用于狩猎、射击练习或射击运动。

枪手的母亲在阳台上接受了CNN的非正式采访，但她拒绝透露儿子是如何获得枪支的。当局表示，此事仍在调查中。

“我想念我的儿子。我很抱歉，”女人一边哭一边抽着烟说道。

她在给遇难者家属的信息中说：“我真希望我能做点什么。我对他们的损失深感悲痛。”

约翰的母亲告诉 CNN，“他是个好孩子”，枪击事件发生前没有任何预兆。

官员表示，枪手之前曾在银轨学校上过特殊教育班，但无法确认他是否是该班级的学生。

疫情期间，他的母亲接受CNN附属电视台KTVZ采访时表示，她希望特殊儿童的线下课程能够恢复。该项目旨在帮助那些“存在严重行为和社交技能障碍”的儿童。

这位在当地一家养老院担任健康助理的母亲告诉 KTVZ，她当时 10 岁的儿子在家学习很吃力，并期待着 2020 年重返校园。

她告诉电视台：“我认为这对我的儿子来说太好了，他需要的帮助能够得到专业老师的指导。”

CNN已联系该节目组寻求置评。

据CNN报道，执法部门消息人士透露，警方已获得更多搜查令，可以从这些设备中提取数据。当地调查人员和联邦调查局将合作获取约翰的设备信息，以确定是否存在与枪击案相关的线索。

据消息人士透露，根据目前进行的采访，尚未发现明确的作案动机。

与此同时，本德-拉派恩学区总监史蒂文·库克在周五的新闻发布会上表示，一旦执法部门允许，学区将立即开始对学校枪击事件的应急响应程序、安全计划和其他相关方面展开调查。

克兰茨警告说，要查明枪手的身份以及导致袭击的原因，还需要时间。

“我们可能永远无法得到完整的答案，但我们想要得到答案，”他说。

CNN的Nick Watt、Eric Levenson和Norma Galeana对本报道亦有贡献。