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Attorney says Oregon has no specific law to charge parent in Silver Rail shooting
KPTV • • nation
Key Points:
- Students and families have returned to Silver Rail Elementary School a month after a shooting that killed three students and a teacher, with the investigation ongoing and no charges filed yet.
- Unlike states such as Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New Mexico, Oregon lacks specific laws holding parents criminally liable for crimes committed by their children, though some states have prosecuted parents for failing to secure firearms.
- Oregon’s firearm storage law mandates reasonable storage but only imposes civil penalties, not criminal charges, and criminal charges like negligent homicide would require proof of the parent’s awareness of risks.
- Prosecutors are reviewing the shooter’s juvenile records and past calls to the home, including incidents of assault and bullying, to assess the mother’s potential awareness or negligence.
- Even if criminal charges are not pursued, civil lawsuits against the mother remain possible, with at least one family already hiring attorneys though no suits have been filed yet.
