BREAKING News Mass Shooting of 3 Children and a Teacher in Bend, Oregon - the Local Bishop Calls for Prayer and Prevention
A mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, left four victims dead—including three children (ages 5, 8, and 11) and one teacher—plus the 16-year-old gunman. The attack took place on Thursday afternoon, October 15, 2026, and ended when an armed community member intervened and fatally shot the assailant. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The Bishop of the Diocese of Baker wrote in Sympathy:
To the people of the Diocese of Baker,
As bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Baker, which includes the city of Bend, I wish to express my deepest sympathy and heartfelt prayers for those whose lives were taken in the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School today, for their families, loved ones, and, indeed, for the whole community.
We expect that our schools are safe places for our children and all who pass through their doors. When a tragedy like this occurs, it shakes us to our core. It is only natural that we would be flooded with emotions at a time like this – shock, grief, fear, confusion, anger.
It is also only natural that we want answers. There will be a time for answers as more information becomes known. Even as more is known about what happened, there are no adequate answers for why this happened. We can only mourn, support each other, and pledge ourselves to doing everything in our power to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The Catholic community of central and eastern Oregon mourns with the families of the victims, the Silver Rail community and the city of Bend.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Thomas J. Hennen
Bishop of Baker
As bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Baker, which includes the city of Bend, I wish to express my deepest sympathy and heartfelt prayers for those whose lives were taken in the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School today, for their families, loved ones, and, indeed, for the whole community.
We expect that our schools are safe places for our children and all who pass through their doors. When a tragedy like this occurs, it shakes us to our core. It is only natural that we would be flooded with emotions at a time like this – shock, grief, fear, confusion, anger.
It is also only natural that we want answers. There will be a time for answers as more information becomes known. Even as more is known about what happened, there are no adequate answers for why this happened. We can only mourn, support each other, and pledge ourselves to doing everything in our power to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The Catholic community of central and eastern Oregon mourns with the families of the victims, the Silver Rail community and the city of Bend.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Thomas J. Hennen
Bishop of Baker
Key Details of the Shooting
- Location: Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. [1, 2]
- Date & Time: Thursday, October 15, 2026, shortly before 1:00 p.m. local time (initial emergency services calls reported shots fired into a vehicle outside, followed by forced entry into the school building). [1, 2, 3]
- Suspect: John J. Griffin II, a 16-year-old male. Law enforcement sources indicated he used a pump-action long gun (a 12-gauge Maverick 88 shotgun) that had been purchased by his mother around August. He was killed at the scene. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Victims Deceased: Three children aged 5, 8, and 11, and one teacher. [1, 2]
- Injured: Two others—a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher (identified by family sources as Becky Drury)—suffered critical injuries and were hospitalized. [1, 2, 3]
- Bystander Intervention: Kaylub Giamanco, a local father of two students at the school, pursued the teenager inside the building and fatally shot him to stop the rampage before police arrived within minutes. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek publicly praised his intervention. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Community and Official Response
- School Closures: All schools in Bend and neighboring La Pine were closed on Friday, October 16, 2026.
- Vigils: Hundreds of community members gathered for a candlelight vigil at Drake Park in downtown Bend to honor the victims and support affected families.
- Investigation: The Bend Police Department and the FBI launched a joint investigation into the motive and how the teen obtained the firearm. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
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