Shauntai May Nickerson Speaks After Son John J. Griffin II Is Identified as Suspect in Oregon School Shooting

Shauntai May Nickerson, the mother of the 16-year-old suspect in the fatal shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, has expressed grief following an attack that killed three children and a teacher. Speaking briefly outside her apartment on Friday, October 16, 2026, Nickerson offered an emotional apology and said she missed her son.

“I’m sorry,” Nickerson said, crying as she spoke. She also described her son as “a good boy,” according to reporting by The New York Times.

Authorities identified the suspect as John J. Griffin II, 16, who allegedly carried out the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday. According to a law enforcement official cited by the newspaper, Griffin used a Maverick 88, a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun believed to be registered to his mother.

The attack left three children and a teacher dead, sending shockwaves through the Bend community and prompting residents to gather outside the school to leave flowers, candles and other tributes for the victims.

According to the report, a father of two students at the school shot and killed the teenage suspect during the incident. Investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including how the weapon was obtained and what may have led to the attack.

Nickerson had spoken publicly about her son years earlier. In 2020, when he was 10, she told local television station NewsChannel 21 that he had special needs and was looking forward to returning to the classroom after pandemic-related disruptions.

Speaking on Friday, she said, “If I could have prevented this, I would have.”

Her comments came as families, school staff and residents struggled to process the deaths and the sudden loss of life at a place intended for children’s education and safety.

The investigation remains a developing story. Authorities have not established a publicly confirmed motive in the information provided, and the circumstances leading up to the attack remain under investigation.

Disclaimer: This article is based on reporting published by The New York Times on October 16, 2026. Details about the shooting and the suspect are attributed to that report and the law enforcement information it cites.