Police records from Oregon detail a history of violence experienced by Griffin John II years before the 16-year-old opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, killing three children and a teacher while injuring two others. The Oct. 15 shooting inside a special-needs classroom ended when John was killed by a man who has two daughters at the school.
While law enforcement continues to investigate him and any potential motive, court and police records previously obtained by NBC News outline a tumultuous home life marked by financial instability and run-ins with law enforcement involving both parents. Those documents reveal that John was assaulted twice in recent years, including an incident where he was targeted while attempting to defend his mother.
Early Encounters and Allegations of Bullying
The earliest documented police report dates back to 2022, when John was 11 years old. According to the Bend police file, a friend of John’s sister assaulted him inside the family’s home. John’s mother, Shauntai Nickerson, reported to responding officers that the individual “slapped John across the face, causing him to chip a tooth,” and subsequently “punched John in the back of the head.”
Nickerson informed police during the call that her son “had special needs.” A responding officer noted in the report that John appeared to have a cognitive disability, pointing to his “non verbal speech communication and speech patterns.” When interviewed, John explained that the altercation began after he returned home, when his sister’s friend asked if he wanted to fight before launching the physical attack. The officer documented observing a small chip on one of John’s lower front teeth.
During the same investigation, John’s sister told authorities that John had arrived home earlier that day upset and crying because, he said, he was being bullied at school. The attending officer wrote that “John expressed concerns about reporting the bullying at school because his mom would get upset.” Attempts by multiple police officers to contact the accused individual were unsuccessful, as all associated telephone numbers were disconnected or out of service.
Domestic Disturbance and a Later Assault
A little more than three years later, in 2025, John was punched multiple times by a man with whom Nickerson had a relationship, according to another Bend police report. Nickerson told investigators that she placed the man’s belongings outside her apartment following an argument concerning his involvement with other women. The man subsequently returned, banged on the front door, and eventually forced himself inside.
John told police that the man threatened to beat up both him and his mother. The dispute escalated when John attempted to stand up for his mother as the man refused to leave the apartment. “He began to get violent, and I didn’t want him to hurt my mom at all,” John told responding officers.
According to the police file, the man shoved John twice, causing him to drop his phone. When John went to pick up his phone, the man “bodyslammed” him to the ground, wrapped an arm around his head and neck, and punched him in the head about 12 to 14 times. The man left after he learned police would be on their way. Ultimately, Nickerson and John chose not to cooperate with an investigation or pursue charges, telling police that the matter had been resolved.
Worth a look
- Christoph Baumgartner Inspires 10-Man RB Leipzig to DFB-Pokal Comeback Win Over Rot-Weiss Essen
- Netanyahu accuses Arab citizens of trying to steal election
- Brewers vs. History: 25 of 25 Teams Up 3-0 Won the World Series (daybreakwire.com)
- The History of Topeka State Hospital: From Asylum to Institution (news-usa.today)
