Bend school shooter's mother bought shotgun after two 2023 assault charges

Shauntai Nickerson purchased a Mossberg Maverick 88 pump-action shotgun in August, a transaction that remained legal because two previous assault accusations against her did not result in criminal convictions.

The weapon belonged to Nickerson and was used by her 16-year-old son in a mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend that left four people dead. Law enforcement officials confirmed the firearm was registered in the mother's name. The specific model typically costs between $250 and $300, though officials have not disclosed where she made the purchase.

Oregon statutes prevent the sale of firearms to individuals convicted of a violent misdemeanor, such as assault, within the previous four years. Because neither of Nickerson's 2023 cases ended in a conviction, the restriction did not bar the sale. Had she been found guilty in either instance, the August purchase would have been prohibited by state law.

The first incident occurred in January 2023. A Bend police report describes Nickerson and her daughter, Ariel Swan, attacking a woman outside a Taco Bell. Nickerson allegedly followed the victim in a white SUV and attempted to run her over before both women exited the vehicle to assault her. Swan was charged with harassment and attempted fourth-degree assault. Nickerson was not arrested or charged, despite reports that she charged at officers during the scene.

In a second, unrelated case less than two months later, Nickerson faced assault and harassment charges involving a different victim. She pleaded guilty to harassment in October 2023. Two weeks later, the Deschutes County District Attorney's office dismissed the assault charge. The office stated on October 23 that prosecutors did not believe there was sufficient evidence to win at trial.

Tung Yin, a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School, suggested the outcome likely involved a plea bargain to avoid the costs and unpredictability of a full trial. He noted that prosecutors exercise wide discretion in deciding which crimes to pursue given the volume of offenses.

Police have not yet identified a clear motive for the shooting, though investigators are examining links to extremist groups. The shooter was killed by a parent of two students at the school. Court records indicate the boy had a chaotic childhood, including a father with a felony conviction for assaulting a police officer. Nickerson herself was a victim of domestic violence, with her ex-boyfriend pleading guilty to felony assault and coercion in 2014.

Dr. Harold Schwartz, a psychiatry professor at the University of Connecticut, noted that isolation and anger are common traits among the general population, but the availability of a weapon is the key differentiator for violent outcomes. National Institute of Justice data show that 77% of mass shooters legally accessed their firearms. Nickerson and other family members did not return calls seeking comment.