BEND, Ore. — The mother of the teenager who opened fire at a Bend elementary school this week is publicly defending her son, describing him as a good child even as authorities continue to investigate why he killed four people.
Shauntai May Nickerson spoke with The New York Times outside her Bend apartment, visibly upset and at times unable to speak. She repeatedly apologized and said she missed her son, 16-year-old John J. Griffin II. According to TMZ.com, Nickerson told the newspaper her son was "a good boy, he really was." She also expressed remorse over the attack, telling the Times, "If I could have prevented this, I would have."
The shooting occurred Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School, where Griffin killed three children and one teacher inside a special needs classroom, according to TMZ.com. The school was one Griffin had attended in the past. He was armed with a pump-action shotgun that had reportedly been purchased by his mother, though she declined to explain how he obtained it.
The attack ended when Kaylub Giamanco, an armed father, pursued the teen into the school and shot him dead. Police have not yet disclosed a possible motive.
Griffin's history of difficulties was not new. In 2020, Nickerson told local station KTVZ that her son had special needs and was struggling with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that he required trained educators to thrive. He was also enrolled in the school district's NEST program, which serves students facing significant behavioral and social challenges.
The shooting has shaken the Bend community, particularly families connected to Silver Rail Elementary. As investigators continue their work, no additional details about the motive or the events leading up to the attack have been released.