Teacher threw cellphone, tackled shooter who killed 4 at Oregon school, police say

Teacher threw cellphone, tackled shooter who killed 4 at Oregon school, police say

Police identify gunman as 16-year-old former student

A teacher threw her phone at the teenage gunman who killed four people at an Oregon elementary school, then tackled and fought with him — likely saving lives before he was shot by a father who followed him into the building, police said Friday.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz called her actions "heroic" during a news conference and said she was not injured. He identified the attacker as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former student at the school, and said all of the victims were shot in the same classroom.

In a statement read to reporters on Friday, Kenda Freeman said her son, Kaylub Giamanco, shot the gunman in Thursday's attack at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend. She said he is the father of two girls at the school.

"He is not seeking recognition, but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel and community for the outpouring of love and support," Freeman said, noting that her son is a lifelong resident of Bend, a mountain-ringed city of about 100,000 in central Oregon.

She said her family was asking for privacy "during this difficult time."

A makeshift memorial at a sign marking the Silver Rail Elementary School near a cordoned-off area in Bend, Ore., on Thursday. (David Ryder/Reuters)

Three students and a teacher were killed in the attack, and a fourth student and another teacher were critically injured.

The shooter was found dead in the school minutes after the first calls for help, Krantz said. He shot through locked doors to get inside, police said.

The children who were killed were ages five, eight and 11 years old, Krantz said. Authorities did not give details about the teacher who was killed. Another seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were wounded in the attack and taken to hospital in critical condition, he said.

The youngest victim, five-year-old Rhoam Summer, was a fast runner and fearless climber who loved reading and his stuffed animals, his aunt said Friday.

"He never met a stuffie that he didn't think needed to be rescued and cared for," said his aunt, Swan Sheridan, who described him as "a little ball of energy from the moment he was born."

This undated photo provided by Swan Sheridan shows Rhoam Summer, a victim in the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore. (Swan Sheridan/The Associated Press)

The wounded teacher was identified by family as Becky Drury. Her mother-in-law, Yvonne Drury, said on Facebook that she had injuries to her left arm and right hand and was recovering from surgery.

Trump praises man who stopped shooter as 'great hero'

At a news conference hours after Thursday's attack, Gov. Tina Kotek — without naming him —praised Giamanco for following the gunman into the school, saying he helped end the rampage and likely saved lives as police began arriving on the scene.

"To the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life: Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well," said Kotek.

President Donald Trump on Friday also praised the actions of a "great hero" who he said "took care of business."

"It's a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it," Trump told reporters at the White House, adding the tragedy likely would have been much worse.

Memorials of flowers, balloons and stuffed animals appeared around the school, which sits in a densely packed neighbourhood filled with newly built homes.

3 children, 1 teacher dead after shooting at Oregon elementary school, police say

Brooke Olsen, whose daughter is a kindergartner at Silver Rail, said she was amazed that a member of the public pursued the shooter.

"I think it's miraculous that someone was there before law enforcement even arrived to stop further tragedy from happening," Olsen said Friday, weeping at times. "I'm feeling very grateful."

The attacker used a pump-action shotgun that was purchased by his mother, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the shooting. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.

Under Oregon law, a minor may possess a shotgun if it is provided by a parent or by someone else with the parent's consent.

An officer stands behind police tape that surrounds Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore., where a shooting took place, on Thursday. (Joe Kline/The Associated Press)

The first 911 call came early in the afternoon from someone outside the school who reported being shot at by someone with a long gun, the police chief said. More 911 calls came from inside the school, and officers arrived within minutes, police spokesperson Sheila Miller said.

The attacker was shot and went down inside the school shortly after officers arrived, she said.

The school serves students from kindergarten through Grade 5, with about 450 enrolled last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education.

Children were taken by bus to a nearby church serving as a reunification centre for families. Parents hugged, kissed and held their kids' hands as they walked to their cars, with some bringing along favourite stuffed animals or other comfort items from home.

Shaken residents held a vigil Thursday night, where children drew hearts in chalk on the sidewalk and held candles side-by-side with adults.

Classes and all other activities were cancelled Friday for the area's 32 schools.

Dara Crawford cries during a candlelight vigil at Drake Park following a deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore. on Thursday. (Eli Imadali/Oregon Public Broadcasting/The Associated Press)

Bend, the largest city in central Oregon, is about 125 miles (200 kilometres) southeast of Portland. It's population has grown rapidly over the past three decades, and it is a tourism and outdoor recreation hub.

The shooting was the 28th mass killing in the U.S. this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

Four years ago in Bend, a grocery store employee who had served in the U.S. Army confronted a gunman who was firing inside the supermarket. Both the employee, whom police hailed as a hero, and a customer were killed. The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.