▲ The area around Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon, U.S., where the shooting took place.
The suspect behind the mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon, U.S., has been identified as a former student of the school.
During a press conference on the 16th local time, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz announced the identity of the shooter from the previous day as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II.
Police stated that the alumnus scaled the school fence armed with a shotgun purchased by his mother, and shot through locked doors to break in.
It was also revealed that a teacher and a parent risked their lives to confront the gunman, preventing further casualties.
Upon spotting the suspect, a female teacher threw her mobile phone at him, threw herself to push him, and struggled to disarm him.
This teacher survived the shooting incident.
Additionally, Caleb Giamanco, 36, a parent whose two daughters attend Silver Rail Elementary School, grabbed a handgun from his car after spotting the shooter and followed him into the building. He discovered the suspect engaged in a physical struggle with the teacher and fatally shot him.
Before his death, the gunman had fired approximately 15 rounds of shotgun shells, and 44 live rounds remained in his backpack after he was killed.
Police Chief Krantz praised the actions of the teacher and the parent as heroic, stating that their actions prevented further sacrifice.
The shooter's mother, Shontai Nickerson, in tears, apologized to the victims and their grieving families, saying, "I miss my child. I am so sorry," and "I wish there was something I could have done."
However, the specific motive for the crime remains shrouded in mystery.
Chief Krantz said, "Everyone wants to know why this happened," adding, "We are doing our absolute best to uncover the motive."
Police are conducting a multi-faceted investigation into any connections between the shooter and the victims, as well as how he managed to get hold of his mother's firearm.
The shooting, which occurred the previous day at Silver Rail Elementary School, left children aged 5, 8, and 11, along with 54-year-old teacher Megan Lambert, dead, while a 7-year-old child and another teacher were transported to the hospital.
President Donald Trump called the parent who subdued the gunman a "great hero."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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