Updated

Updated · Fox News · Oct 22

Oregon Teacher Becky Drury Describes Silver Rail Shooting That Killed 4 as Police Trace Legally Bought Gun

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Oct 22

Oregon Teacher Becky Drury Describes Silver Rail Shooting That Killed 4 as Police Trace Legally Bought Gun

Q: How did a mother's birthday gift to her teenage son trigger an unimaginable tragedy at an Oregon elementary school?

The tragedy was triggered when the 16-year-old suspect used a 12-gauge Maverick 88 shotgun that authorities say had been legally bought by his mother in August and, according to multiple reports, given to him as a birthday gift for recreational use. Investigators say the teenager, Griffin J. John II, later took that shotgun to Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, climbed over a fence, fired at a passing pickup truck, then shot through the glass of locked school doors to get inside. He entered a special-needs classroom and opened fire, killing three children and teacher Megan Lambert, and seriously wounding teacher Becky Drury and a 7-year-old student. The gift itself did not directly cause the shooting; the key issue is that it gave a minor access to the weapon used in the attack. Oregon law generally bars minors from buying firearms, but allows some possession if a parent provides the gun. Investigators are still examining how the teenager obtained access to it, whether it was stored lawfully, and whether any laws were broken in the transfer or storage. Authorities have not established a motive. Police and federal investigators are reviewing the suspect’s home, devices and social media, including possible exposure to violent extremist material or online communities that glorify mass violence. The case has intensified scrutiny of parental gun access, safe-storage laws and how warning signs might be identified before a school attack occurs.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 22

Becky Drury said she was shot at close range while trying to shut a classroom door at Silver Rail Elementary, then pretended to be dead so the gunman would not shoot her again.
Drury said the blast nearly severed her left hand and badly injured her other arm, leaving her unable to get up, defend herself or protect anyone else.
Bend police said the Oct. 15 attack killed three children and one teacher, and that the 16-year-old gunman was ultimately neutralized by a bystander.
Detectives said the firearm was purchased legally and that a complex investigation is continuing through search warrants at the suspect's home and reviews of his devices and social media.
Bend-La Pine Schools reopened its other campuses Wednesday, where students and staff returned amid community memorials and messages of support.