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Bend Police Open Criminal Probe Into How School Shooter Obtained Gun, Sources Say Mother Bought Shotgun

Sunday, October 18, 2026 · States · GSM News

BEND, Ore. — The investigation into the elementary school shooting in Bend, Oregon took a new turn on October 18, as Bend police confirmed that how 16-year-old shooter Griffin J. John II obtained the gun and ammunition used in the attack is now part of a criminal investigation.

According to law enforcement sources, the 12-gauge shotgun used in the shooting was purchased by the shooter's mother. That detail comes from law enforcement sourcing reported by national outlets; police have not formally confirmed the purchase details. Four students and staff were killed in the attack, and the shooter died.

Among the wounded, 7-year-old Saylor Graham has been identified and is being treated at OHSU Hospital in Portland in serious but stable condition. Becky Drury, a 54-year-old teacher wounded in the arm and hand, is expected to be released from hospital in the coming days, according to a family friend.

Police said the gun-source investigation is ongoing and have not announced whether anyone will face charges in connection with how the weapon was obtained. (GSM, based on Associated Press, Statesman Journal and KOIN reporting)

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 俄勒冈州 Bend 市中心资料图,远处为 Pilot Butte。照片:Wikimedia Commons,CC0。Downtown Bend, Oregon, with Pilot Butte. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

Story Timeline
  1. 2026-10-15Shooting at Bend, Oregon Elementary School Leaves Multiple Victims, Including Children; Gunman Shot Dead
  2. 2026-10-15Follow-Up: At Least Five Believed Dead in Bend Elementary School Shooting, Officials Tell AP; Police Have Not Confirmed a Toll
  3. 2026-10-15Follow-Up: Police Confirm Three Children and a Teacher Killed in Bend School Shooting; Gunman Was 16, Two Critically Injured
  4. 2026-10-15Oregon Governor Orders Flags at Half-Staff Oct. 16 in Honor of Bend School Shooting Victims
  5. 2026-10-16Oregon Flags Fly at Half-Staff Today for Bend School Shooting Victims; District Schools and Local Colleges Closed
  6. 2026-10-16Follow-Up: Bend School Gunman and Two Victims Identified; Police Say He Fired Up to 15 Rounds and Carried 44 More
  7. 2026-10-16Bend School Shooting Follow-Up: Family Says Wounded Aide Becky Drury's Injuries Are Serious but Not Life-Threatening; 7-Year-Old Remains in Intensive Care
  8. 2026-10-16Bend Police Release School Shooting Timeline: Teacher Threw Phone and Tackled Gunman; Parent Followed Him Inside and Shot Him
  9. 2026-10-18A Bend Mother Who Survived a 2001 School Shooting Guided Her Son by Text as He Hid from the Gunman
  10. 2026-10-18Bend Police Open Criminal Probe Into How School Shooter Obtained Gun, Sources Say Mother Bought ShotgunThis story
  11. 2026-10-21Update: Bend-La Pine Schools Reopen Today With Added Police Presence on Campuses
  12. 2026-10-22Follow-Up: Rep. Janelle Bynum Writes to ICE Asking to Pause Non-Emergency Enforcement in Bend and Deschutes County
  13. 2026-10-22Injured Teacher in Bend School Shooting Breaks Silence, Correcting Reports She Shielded a Student; CNN Identifies 5-Year-Old as Youngest U.S. School Shooting Victim
  14. 2026-10-24Follow-Up: Father Who Stopped the Bend School Shooter Speaks for the First Time: 'I Have to Go In'
  15. 2026-10-25Follow-Up: Man Who Stopped Bend School Shooter Publicly Identified; Governor Had Praised His Heroic Intervention
  16. 2026-10-26Follow-Up: Oregon Governor Signs Emergency Order, State Mobilizes Full Support for Bend School District After Elementary School Shooting
  17. 2026-10-27Follow-Up: Les Schwab Foundation Donates $100,000 to Aid Recovery After Bend, Oregon Silver Rail Elementary Shooting
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