Rhoam Summer was a strong, kind, and vivacious five-year-old boy who loved to dance, climb, and share everything he had. From the day he was born, his parents, Kelik and Lillian Summer, saw his strength when he pulled himself up in the hospital sink during his first bath. He was an active child who never stopped moving and could seemingly do anything. Rhoam’s heart was described by his family as knowing no limits.
He loved rainbows and unicorns as much as he loved sharks and dinosaurs, and he would tell the sweetest stories, giving each character its own voice. A generous and caring child, he made sure any guest in his home had a drink, a snack, or a stuffed animal to cuddle. He cooked with his parents, cuddled at every opportunity, and was looking forward to visiting a pumpkin patch, learning to ride horses, and being a bunny for Halloween.
On the afternoon of Thursday, October 15, 2026, Rhoam was in his special-needs kindergarten classroom at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. At around 1 p.m., a 16-year-old former student of the school, Griffin J. John II, approached the building armed with a 12-gauge shotgun. After firing at a pickup truck outside, he climbed a fence and shot his way through a set of locked glass doors. The gunman went directly into the classroom to the left of the entrance and opened fire. Inside, Rhoam, two other students, ages 8 and 11, and their 25-year-old teacher, Megan Lambert, were fatally shot. A 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old educational assistant, Becky Drury, were also shot and critically injured.
The attack was met with immediate and heroic resistance. One teacher in the classroom threw her cellphone at the shooter before tackling him and fighting for the gun, an act police believe almost certainly saved lives. The shooting ended when Kaylub Giamanco, a parent with two children at the school, heard the gunfire from his car. He retrieved his legally owned pistol, entered the school, and followed the sounds of the struggle to the classroom. There, he confronted the gunman and fatally shot him, ending the rampage just minutes after it began. Bend Police officers arrived within three minutes of the first 911 call to find the deceased shooter and the victims inside.
The investigation, led by the Bend Police Department, identified the shooter and confirmed the sequence of events. The case is considered closed as the primary suspect is deceased. Investigators looked into how the 16-year-old acquired the shotgun, with reports indicating his mother had purchased it. The classroom where the tragedy occurred remained a locked crime scene as the criminal investigation proceeded. The community of Bend, a city of about 100,000 people in central Oregon, was left reeling. Makeshift memorials of flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals appeared outside the school.
In the hours after the shooting, Rhoam’s father, Kelik Summer, posted on Facebook, "Today has been the worst day of my life. My son Rhoam was killed in a school shooting. We are broken and lost, but are surrounded by friends and family who are keeping us safe." The family later released a tribute, remembering their son's bright spirit and boundless love. They asked that people who wished to memorialize Rhoam do so by creating art. "Rhoam loved to tell stories of creatures with big teeth who needed understanding and friendship," they said. "Please make art for him. Draw or paint. Use your hands if you can. Get messy."
Rhoam Summer is believed to be the youngest person ever killed in a deliberate school shooting in the United States. In the wake of their son’s death, his parents retained legal counsel to launch an independent investigation into the shooting. Their attorneys stated they would examine the school district's security measures and active-shooter protocols, as well as the circumstances surrounding how the underage shooter gained access to the firearm. The family’s legal team said their goal was to find the truth, determine accountability, and pursue justice in Rhoam's name to ensure such a tragedy never happens again.
As of October 2026, the community was continuing to mourn the immense loss. Classes across the Bend-La Pine school district were temporarily suspended. Fundraisers were established to support the victims and their families as they navigated an unimaginable tragedy. The investigation by the family's attorneys was just beginning, with the hope of finding answers and preventing future violence.
