'Heroic' teacher fought with gunman before parent shot suspect who killed four at Oregon school

A teacher threw her phone at the teenage gunman who killed four people in a school shooting in Oregon before tackling and fighting with him, police have said.

The suspect, named by law enforcement as 16-year-old Griffin J John, was fatally shot by Kaylub Giamanco, a father of two girls who attend Silver Rail Elementary.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz called the teacher's actions "heroic" and said she was not injured in the incident on Thursday.

Three children, five, eight and 11, were killed along with a teacher, 25-year-old Meghan Lambert.

Mr Giamanco was not picking his children up from the school at the time, his brother, Kyle, said.

Instead, he was driving home from his lunch break when he heard gunshots and saw the gunman enter the school.

He is said to have parked his car, taken a .40-calibre pistol with him and followed the attacker inside the school, where he shot him several times.

John was a special educational needs student at the school, according to police.

He fired as many as 15 shots from a shotgun, Mr Krantz said.

He gained access to the school by shooting through locked doors, Sky News' US partner network NBC News reports.

NBC News also reported that two senior law enforcement officials said that John's mother purchased the long gun he used around his birthday in August.

In 2020, in an interview with local news station KTVZ, John's mother identified her then 10-year-old son as a participant in a special educational needs programme run by the school district.

It was called NEST, for Nurturing Empathy, Safety and Trust, and aimed at helping students experiencing intensive behavioural and social skill challenges.

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The family of one of the children killed in the attack, five-year-old Rhoam Summer, say they are "broken and lost".

Rhoam's mother, Kelik Summer, described Thursday as "the worst day of my life".

She said on Facebook: "My son Rhoam was killed in a school shooting.

"We are broken and lost, but are surrounded by friends and family who are keeping us safe."

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family grieving for the loss of the "sweet" victim.

The page read: "In the wake of an unimaginable tragedy, the Summer family is grieving the heartbreaking loss of their sweet 5-year-old son, Rhoam.

"There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child, and no family should ever have to experience a loss like this.

"As they navigate the days and weeks ahead, we want to come together as a community to surround them with love, compassion, and support."

(c) Sky News 2026: 'Heroic' teacher fought with gunman before parent shot suspect who killed four at Oregon school<