The children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. The teacher who died was Meghan Lambert, 25. A seven-year-old child and another teacher were also injured in the attack.

Police identified the gunman as Griffin J. John II, a former pupil at the school. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz released details of the shooting at a news conference on October 16.

Teacher and parent confront the gunman

An unidentified teacher threw her phone at the attacker, tackled him and fought him, Krantz said. She was not injured, and the police chief said her actions almost certainly helped prevent further bloodshed.

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old father whose two children attend the school, entered with a legally held .40-caliber pistol. He shot the attacker multiple times, killing him before officers arrived, police said.

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Officers reached the school within three minutes of the first emergency call, Krantz said. By then, the gunman was dead.

Attacker entered through locked doors

Before entering the building, John threw his shotgun over the school fence and climbed after it, police said. A passing truck driver confronted him, and he fired at the vehicle.

He then fired through locked glass doors and entered a classroom for pupils with special educational needs. Police said all those killed or injured were shot in that classroom.

Investigators said John fired about 15 shots in the classroom with a Maverick 88 pump-action, 12-gauge shotgun. He had about 44 additional rounds of ammunition.

Steven Cook, superintendent of the Bend-La Pine school district, said John had previously attended Silver Rail as a pupil with special educational needs. He was not enrolled in the local public school system when the attack occurred.

Police investigate motive and access to weapon

Police had not established a motive and were investigating how John obtained the shotgun. Krantz said investigators might never find a full explanation for the attack.

Classes in Bend were canceled on October 16. Residents gathered near the school that morning, leaving flowers and candles outside the police cordon.

Lambert’s family said working at Silver Rail had been her dream job. In a statement read at the news conference, they remembered her support for people with special needs and expressed gratitude to Giamanco.