Teacher tackled and fought Oregon school shooter

Oregon school shooting: Teacher and parent hailed as heroes after tackling and killing gunman

The full report

A 16-year-old former special-needs student, Griffin J. John II, has been identified as the gunman in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon, US. The incident occurred on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of three children and a teacher, with two others injured.

According to police, John shot his way through locked doors with a 12-gauge shotgun, firing as many as 15 shots, and had about 44 rounds left when he was killed. The victims were all in a special education classroom, where John was a former student.

A teacher in the classroom threw her phone at the gunman, then tackled and fought him, likely saving lives, police said. The teacher's actions were described as 'heroic' by Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz. She was not injured in the incident.

A 36-year-old parent, Kaylub Giamanco, who has two children at the school, followed the gunman inside and shot him dead minutes after the first 911 call. Giamanco's actions were praised by US President Donald Trump, who called him a 'great hero'.

The children killed were aged five, eight, and 11, and the teacher was Meghan Lambert, 25, police said. A seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to hospital in critical condition. Authorities have not offered a motive for the shooting, citing the continuing investigation.

The incident has left the community in shock, with residents gathering near the school to mourn and pay their respects. The school has been closed until further notice, and counseling services have been made available to students and staff.