The gun used by a 16-year-old shooter who killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, was a birthday gift from his mother, according to CBS News sources. The Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, legally bought in August 2026 by Shauntai Nickerson, was intended for recreational use.
In 2020, Nickerson mentioned in a local TV interview that her son, then 10, had special needs and faced challenges with remote learning during the pandemic. She expressed hope for him to receive proper support at school. However, last week’s tragedy began when the shooter fired at a pickup truck, whose driver alerted authorities. The shooter then broke into the school by shooting through glass doors and proceeded to a nearby classroom.
Inside, he fatally shot all four victims and injured two others. The victims included children aged 5, 8, and 11, as well as a teacher, 25-year-old Megan Lambert. The 5-year-old, Rhoam Summer, was identified by police and family. The names of the other children remain undisclosed. The injured included a 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher.
Flowers and candles honor those lost at a makeshift memorial at Silver Rail Elementary.
There were nine individuals in the classroom during the incident. The shooter was eventually stopped by a bystander, 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, who witnessed the initial shooting. Giamanco’s daughters attend the same school.
The shooter, a former student of the school, had no disclosed motive for the attack. Bend Police Department said they expected to complete evidence collection soon and return the building to the school district. Investigators are examining the shooter’s digital footprint, including computer and phone data.
This report includes contributions from Anna Schecter, Faris Tanyos, and Kerry Breen.