A mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday left four people dead, including three children and a teacher, authorities confirmed Friday. The suspected shooter, identified as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, was fatally shot by a community member who confronted him inside the school.

Police identified the slain teacher as 25-year-old Megan Lambert. Among the three boys killed, ages 5, 8, and 11, the name of 5-year-old Rhoam Summer was released at the family's request. The identities of the other two children remain private.

The tragic events unfolded when the teen suspect, who had previously attended Silver Rail Elementary as a special needs student, entered the school armed with a twelve-gauge shotgun. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that a citizen, observing the suspect entering the school, pursued him inside and fatally shot the teenager. In another act of bravery, a teacher tackled the shooter, attempting to disarm him.

Authorities reported that a 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher, identified by her family as Becky Drury, sustained critical injuries. The child was in serious but stable condition, while the teacher suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Griffin J. John II, a Bend resident, was not currently enrolled in the school district. Preliminary information suggests the shotgun may have been purchased by his mother, though the exact means by which the suspect acquired the weapon and ammunition is a key focus of the ongoing criminal investigation. Police Chief Krantz acknowledged that a definitive motive may not be fully uncovered but stated it is a primary investigative goal.

The incident began shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday when a driver reported being shot at multiple times by someone with a long gun. The vehicle sustained three impacts. Soon after, multiple 911 calls alerted dispatchers that a shooter had entered Silver Rail Elementary School, prompting an immediate lockdown and emergency response.

School officials confirmed the suspect's past enrollment as a special needs student at Silver Rail Elementary. The investigation into how the suspect obtained the firearm and ammunition is ongoing, as is the search for a motive behind the deadly attack.

The community has been left to grapple with the aftermath, with flowers already appearing at the school as a somber tribute to the victims. The heroic actions of the citizen who confronted the shooter and the teacher who attempted to disarm him are being highlighted amidst the profound loss.