Oregon school shooter's mother apologizes to victim families but says suspect was a 'good boy'
BEND, OREGON: The mother of the 16-year-old accused of killing four people at an elementary school in Oregon has expressed remorse to the victims’ families while maintaining that she remembers her son as a good child.
Shauntai Nickerson made the remarks after her son, John J Griffin II, opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend on Thursday, October 15, leaving three children and a teacher dead.
Her comments come as investigators examine how the teenager obtained the shotgun used in the attack and what led him to target the school.
Suspect's mother apologizes to victims
With tears streaming down her face, Nickerson spoke about the tragedy outside her apartment building on Friday, telling reporters that she still missed the teenager and remembering him as “a good boy,” The New York Times reported.
Her remarks also carried a message for the families now mourning their loved ones.
Nickerson expressed sorrow over the deaths and said she wished she had been able to stop what happened at Silver Rail Elementary School.
“I’m so sorry, I wish I could have done something. I’m sorry for their loss,” she said, according to media reports.
She also said that she would have intervened if she could have prevented the attack.
Nickerson reportedly said she had not seen signs that her son might commit such violence.
She did not publicly clarify how Griffin obtained the shotgun used in the shooting.
She is reported to work as a health aide at a nursing home.
Authorities have not announced a motive, leaving unanswered questions about what prompted the attack and how the teenager accessed the firearm.
Dad saves lives at school
Gunfire was first reported at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend shortly before 1 pm on Thursday.
Investigators say suspect John J Griffin allegedly arrived with a long gun and shot at secured doors before making his way into the school.
The attack claimed the lives of three students and a teacher. It ended when Kaylub Giamanco, 36, a father whose two daughters attend the school, pursued the teenager into the building and shot him, according to reports on the intervention.
Giamanco’s family said he was not looking for public praise following the incident.
They also thanked those who responded to the shooting, including emergency crews and school staff, as the community grappled with the loss.
Emergency calls initially alerted authorities to shots fired outside the school, followed by reports of an armed attacker inside. Officers reached the scene within minutes and found Griffin dead.
