The parents of one of three children killed in last week's shooting at an elementary school in Oregon have hired attorneys to investigate the school's protocols and how the teenage gunman got his weapon.
Rhoam Summer, 5, was one of three children killed along with a teacher in the attack Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, a mountain-ringed city of about 100,000 in central Oregon. The other two children killed were ages 8 and 11, and a fourth student and another teacher were wounded, police have said.
The attorneys announced the investigation Saturday, saying it will probe various issues, such as whether the school had an active shooter protocol in place and how the gunman, 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, acquired the 12-gauge pump-action shotgun police say he used and where it was originally purchased.
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said Friday that the school district has “invested heavily” in security cameras, door locks, fencing and other security measures.
“We practice lockdowns with students and staff twice a year at every school,” Cook said. “Rest assured, we will take a hard look at everything that we have done, and what more needs to be done to ensure that our students, our staff and our families are safe in our schools.”
Rhoam's parents, Kelik and Lillian Summer, initially hired attorneys Friday to handle media interview requests, Tim Williams, a personal injury attorney in Bend and co-lead counsel for the parents, said in a phone interview. The boy's parents released their own statement remembering their son as strong and kind with a love for rainbows and unicorns along with sharks and dinosaurs.
“He was 5 years old,” the statement said. “He wanted to go to the pumpkin patch, learn to ride horses, learn to play an instrument, and be a bunny for Halloween.”
Of interest is how the shooter, a minor, accessed his weapon, Williams said.
A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting last week told The Associated Press the shooter’s gun was bought by his mother. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.
“We don’t know if the shooter’s mother qualified to own a firearm. We don’t know whether or not the dealer was aware that the firearm was being bought for a minor,” Williams said, adding that there are “various issues there we’re trying to suss out.”
Under Oregon law, a minor may possess a shotgun if provided by a parent or by someone else with the parent’s consent.
The attacker’s mother, Shauntai Nickerson, has not responded to messages from The Associated Press. Nickerson on Friday told some reporters outside her apartment near the school that if she could have done something to prevent the shooting, she would have.
Police said John got into the school by shooting through locked doors. Authorities said he was not currently enrolled in the Bend-La Pine district but had once been a special needs student at the school.
Williams said they are trying to determine whether the school district is “liable or not.” If it is liable, he added, they'd try to “work with the school district to come to some sort of conclusion, you know, and resolution, ideally safeguarding this from happening again in the future.”
Classes and activities were suspended Monday and Tuesday across the district. No reopening plan has been announced for Silver Rail.
Kelety reported from Phoenix.
Police caution tape surrounds Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Ore., Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, a day after a deadly shooting. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Freddy Peralta threw 5 1/3 gritty innings, Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz each hit a two-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night to advance to the World Series for the third time in the franchise’s 29 seasons.
The Rays will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the first matchup in which both teams are seeking their first World Series title since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals.
Game 1 is Friday night in Milwaukee.
The loss extended Cleveland’s World Series championship drought to 78 years.
On the 18-year anniversary of their first AL pennant in 2008, the Rays jumped ahead 2-0 in the second inning on Richie Palacios’ two-run double and clinched it with closer Bryan Baker on the mound.
The Guardians wouldn’t give up and had the go-ahead run at first base in the eighth when Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio to leave the bases loaded after two runs scored.
Peralta allowed one run and five hits to earn his second win in the ALCS in his third appearance. He threw six scoreless innings to win Game 2 and got two outs in relief in Game 4.
A sellout crowd of 40,230 fans waved yellow-and-blue rally towels, rang cowbells and chanted “Let’s go Rays!” throughout the night at Tropicana Field, which needed major renovations after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof two years ago and caused extensive damage throughout the stadium.
The Rays played their 2025 home games across the bay in Tampa at the New York Yankees’ spring training complex, got new ownership before this season and secured a new stadium deal to bear ready in 2029 near the NFL’s Buccaneers. They returned to the Trop to win 55 games in the regular season. Only Milwaukee had that many home wins this year.
After sweeping the Yankees in the Division Series, the Rays fell behind the Guardians 0-1 and 1-2 in this series before taking three straight games.
Caminero gave Tampa Bay a cushion with his first career postseason homer in the seventh inning. The two-time All-Star sent a drive off the left-field foul pole to give the Rays a 5-1 lead, becoming the first player to go deep on a splitter by All-Star closer Cade Smith.
Caminero turned around before reaching first base, looked toward his dugout and pounded his chest with both arms, cupped his ear rounding second to hear more cheers, stopped before reaching the plate, pointed into the stands and crossed his arms before crossing home.
Caminero hit 42 homers in the regular season but needed 33 at-bats to get his first in October.
The Guardians answered against Tyler Wells and Ian Seymour by loading the bases on two singles and a walk with two outs. Seymour walked Patrick Bailey to force in one run and hit Angel Martínez with a pitch to force in another. Kelly entered and fanned Rocchio on three changeups.
Díaz, who guaranteed a Game 6 victory through an interpreter on Sunday, gave the Rays a four-run lead with a two-run shot off Hunter Gaddis in the bottom of the eighth.
Caminero led off Tampa Bay’s second with single off opener Shawn Armstrong, who took the loss in his second start in three games. Left-hander Tim Herrin replaced Armstrong. Chandler Simpson reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second before Victor Mesa Jr. walked. Simpson advanced to third on Jonny DeLuca’s flyout to center. After Mesa stole second, Palacios looped a double to right-center for a 2-0 lead.
Armstrong, who was the opener in Game 4, faced the first four batters, becoming the first pitcher in postseason history to start a game after pitching both of the previous two days.
DeLuca’s sacrifice fly off Joey Cantillo made it 3-0 in the third but the Rays missed an opportunity to break it open with more runs after they loaded the bases with no outs.
Nathaniel Lowe’s RBI single in the sixth drove in Cleveland’s first run.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero scores past Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey sacrifice fly during the third inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Cam Booser celebrates the third out in the against the Cleveland Guardians during the sixth inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero scores past Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey sacrifice fly during the third inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero celebrates a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero celebrates a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
