Mother texts son during Oregon school shooting

A mother who lived through a school shooting in 2001 found herself texting her son while gunmen tore through classrooms at an Oregon school earlier this week. Her name is Michelle, and she spoke with CNN about the harrowing moments when she could only reach one of her children via text message after Griffin John II attacked Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend on Thursday.

She told reporters that as a freshman inside Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, California, Jason Anthony Hoffman wounded five people back in 2001. She recalled the feeling of pure shock and asked how lightning could possibly strike twice. How can I survive this nightmare only to watch my own children face it?

Her fifth-grader managed to call her from an Apple Watch shortly after John began firing inside the building. The boy texted her moments later with a simple warning: Shooter at school. She noted that his voice sounded wrong immediately, but she had no time for panic. She typed back quickly. Baby I love you don't call anyone please be as quiet as possible. If you can safely, text me, that's OK just don't make any calls. The police are going to help you. I love you so much. Her son was also able to confirm his brother remained safe during the chaos.

Thursday marked the first time Michelle revealed her own history of surviving a shooting to her two sons. The trauma from 2001 still haunts her, and she has suffered panic attacks ever since. Every single time I dropped them off at school, seeing them walk through the front doors would give me a pit in my stomach. I was thinking, I hope I see him again. It is probably because of the deep trauma I went through.

The attack on Thursday ended with three students and one teacher dead. Police identified the victims as five-year-old Rhoam Summer, eight-year-old Saylor Graham, eleven-year-old student, and teacher Meghan Lambert, 25. John also injured seven-year-old Saylor Graham and educational assistant Becky Drury before he was killed by Kaylub Giamanco. Authorities said John fired fifteen rounds from a shotgun his mother bought for him around his sixteenth birthday in August. Law enforcement remains unsure about how he got ammunition because the investigation is very active right now. His motive is currently unknown.

Giamanco ran into the school after seeing John enter with the weapon drawn. He saw a teacher struggling with the shooter and opened fire, killing John instantly. The teacher later said she threw her cellphone at John to distract him before grappling with him to try and wrestle away his gun. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz called Giamanco a true hero for his quick thinking and protective nature that undoubtedly saved lives.

We all recognize what true heroism looks like, yet we rarely see it in our society today.

Police confirmed that John fired as many as fifteen shots during the shooting. He still had forty-four rounds left when he was shot dead. His intent on targeting his former class was so strong that he ran around to the back entrance after being fired upon while trying to go in through the front door.

John, who was not enrolled in a Bend public school at the time, traveled to Silver Rail Elementary on foot. The route taken by the gunman is currently under investigation.

Griffin was shot dead minutes after he began his rampage. Kalub Giamanco, thirty-six years old and a dad of two children at the school, heard the gunshots as he drove home for his lunch break. He fired the shots that ended the violence quickly.

Rhoam Summer was named as one of the victims of Thursday's shooting. His photo shows him with his mother. The tragedy took their lives before they could say goodbye to each other.

He threw the Maverick .88 12–gauge pump–action shotgun over the fence before jumping after it. He found himself blocked from entering once he was on the ground. Then he ran to the back entrance and blasted his way in through a safety vestibule system designed to keep children at the school safe from shooters.

The mother of the gunman told reporters she was devastated by what happened. She refused to confirm if she had purchased the shotgun for her son for his sixteenth birthday. The silence around that detail weighs heavy on everyone involved.

Shauntai Nickerson said, I wish I could have done something. I am so sorry. I miss my boy. Her pain cuts deep through the community that knew him best.

Ms Lambert's family called her compassionate with a huge heart. They added in a statement that she always fought for the underdog and those with special needs. Her legacy remains one of kindness despite this horrific end.

The aunt of Rhoam, Swan Sheridan, said he never met a stuffed animal that he didn't think needed to be rescued and cared for. He was a fearless climber, fast runner and loved reading books before the world ended. These memories feel like fragments now.

Two other children aged eight and eleven were also killed. Their names have not been released to protect their families from further harm. The community waits in silence for answers that may never come.