Oregon School Shooting: Police Probe How Teen Obtained Legally Purchased Shotgun

Investigators in Bend, Oregon, are examining how a 16-year-old former pupil obtained a shotgun used in an elementary school attack that killed three children and a teacher, after police confirmed the firearm had been purchased legally.

The investigation follows the October 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School, where 54-year-old special education teacher Becky Drury was seriously wounded while attempting to close her classroom door. Drury has since said she pretended to be dead after being shot at close range.

The gunman, identified as Griffin J. John II, was killed by a parent who followed him into the school. The attack left four victims dead, including three boys aged five, eight and 11, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert.

Bend Police confirmed on October 21 that the shotgun used in the attack had been legally purchased. Police Chief Mike Krantz did not disclose who bought it, saying investigators were still working to establish how it came into the teenager's possession.

The Associated Press had previously reported that the shooter's mother had purchased the weapon. That detail has not been publicly confirmed by police, and the question of how the teenager obtained access to the firearm remains unresolved.

How the Attack Unfolded

According to police accounts reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting, the incident began shortly before 1pm on October 15, when the teenager approached the school carrying a long gun. He reportedly threw the weapon over a fence before climbing onto school property. A driver who witnessed the incident confronted him, prompting the teenager to fire at a red pickup truck, striking it at least three times.

The driver continued down the road and called emergency services. A second motorist, a 36-year-old father whose children attended the school, also witnessed the unfolding events and followed the teenager towards the school.

The gunman forced his way into the building by firing at glass panes in locked external doors before entering a special education classroom and opening fire.

Police received the first emergency call at 12.59pm. Officers arrived at approximately 1.02pm, by which time the gunman had been shot by the intervening parent.

Authorities said another teacher confronted the attacker inside the classroom by throwing her mobile phone at him before tackling him and struggling to gain control of the firearm. She was not injured. Police Chief Krantz said the actions of people who intervened outside and inside the school likely prevented further casualties.

Questions About Access to Firearms

The confirmation that the shotgun was legally purchased has shifted attention towards the circumstances in which a teenager was able to obtain it. Legal purchase does not, by itself, establish how the weapon was stored, whether access restrictions were followed or how it was transferred to the shooter. Those questions require evidence from the ongoing investigation.

Police have also examined the suspect's home, electronic devices and social media accounts as they seek to establish his movements, possible motives and the circumstances preceding the attack. Authorities have not publicly established a motive. Although the teenager had previously attended Silver Rail Elementary, police said he was not enrolled in the local public school district at the time of the shooting.

Schools Reopen Under Heightened Security

The attack prompted the Bend-La Pine school district to close schools temporarily. Classes resumed across the district on October 21, except at Silver Rail Elementary, while officers were deployed to welcome pupils and staff back. Police said an increased law enforcement presence would continue around schools as the community dealt with the aftermath.