Oregon School Shooting: Police Had Been Called to Suspect's Home Multiple Times Before Deadly Attack
Authorities say the suspect’s mother purchased the 12-gauge shotgun used in the attack.
Oct. 23 2026, Published 4:51 a.m. ET
Police responded to the Bend, Oregon, home of 16-year-old Griffin J. John II multiple times in the years before he allegedly killed four people at Silver Rail Elementary School, according to a police call log obtained by TMZ.
The records show officers were sent to the family residence for a range of incidents beginning in 2023, including harassment, a noise complaint and a domestic dispute.
The calls do not, however, establish a connection between those earlier encounters and the October 15 school shooting.
In one March 2, 2023, entry, a woman accused John's mother, Shauntai May Nickerson, of causing her physical injury. The available records do not identify who made each call, who was involved, or what happened after police arrived.
Records List Multiple Calls to Family Home
The Oct. 15 attack at Silver Rail Elementary killed a teacher and three children.
Police were also called to the residence in 2024 and 2025 for an unwanted subject, a welfare check, and another domestic dispute, according to the records described by TMZ. Fire and rescue crews responded to the home in March 2025 for what appeared to be a medical call.
A July 2026 entry involved an alleged theft. After the deadly shooting, police returned to the residence on October 17 and October 19 as part of follow-up activity, according to the call log.
The records document police responses but do not indicate whether John was present during the earlier incidents or what officers learned from those encounters. There is also no indication in the records that authorities knew an attack was being planned.
Four People Killed at Silver Rail Elementary
A woman reportedly accused the suspect’s mother of causing physical injury in March 2023.
John, a former Silver Rail student, opened fire at the elementary school on October 15, killing three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert, police said. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were injured.
Police said John entered the school after approaching the property from a nearby undeveloped area. He threw a firearm over a fence, climbed onto school grounds and eventually forced his way into the building.
He fired as many as 15 rounds before he was shot and killed by Kaylub Giamanco, a father of two Silver Rail students who followed him into the school.
Bend police have confirmed that the firearm used in the attack was purchased legally, but they have not released further details about the weapon or how John obtained it.
Investigators Examine Online Activity
Police also responded to the residence in 2024 and 2025 for several reported incidents.
The investigation has continued at John's home and across his electronic accounts. Bend police said detectives have served search warrants at the suspect's home and on his electronic devices and social media accounts.
Authorities are still working to determine a motive. Police have not publicly established why John targeted the special education classroom at his former school, and investigators have said additional details remain part of the active investigation.
The case has also prompted investigators to examine John's online activity, including possible extremist connections reported by news outlets. Those reported lines of inquiry have not been established as the reason for the attack.
What The Call Log Reveals
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Calls listed in 2023 included reports of harassment, a noise complaint and a domestic dispute.
The police call history provides a record of repeated visits to John's family home before the shooting, but it does not show that the incidents were warning signs of the October 15 attack.
The records also do not establish that John was involved in the earlier calls or that officers encountered him during those responses.
Bend police continue to investigate the shooting, including the circumstances surrounding the firearm and John's actions before he entered Silver Rail Elementary.
