The youngest victim of an elementary school shooting in Oregon that saw four people murdered has been identified by his father, who shared his piercing grief.
Rhoam Summer, 5, was named by Kelik Summer as one of three children who were murdered inside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend by 16-year-old John J. Smith on Thursday.
Summer wrote 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 post was quickly inundated with well wishes and prayers from those in the group.
Rhoam, along with an eight-year-old, an 11-year-old and a teacher were also all killed inside by Smith, who was shot and killed by a heroic bystander named Kaylub Giamanco, 36.
Smith used a shotgun believed to have been given to him by his mother to blast out the locks of a 'safety vestibule' meant to keep schools safe. He then entered the special education section of Silver Rail and began shooting.
Smith also shot a seven-year-old wheelchair user and a 54-year-old teacher, both of whom survived their injuries but are critically-ill in hospital. No motive for the shooting has been given and it remains unclear if Smith was a formter student of the school.
When reached by the Daily Mail on Friday morning, an unidentified woman answered the cell phone of Lillian Summer, Rhoam's mother, and declined to comment further.
Rhoam is seen here alongside his mother Lillian in an image shared to a local fundraiser for the family
Rhoam is seen here with his father Kelik who described Thursday as 'the worst day of my life'
Floral tributes are seen outside Silver Lake Elementary School in Oregon Thursday evening, after a shooting that killed three young students and a teacher
Hero bystander Kaylub Giamanco, pictured, took down Griffin and prevented a bigger massacre
Locals in the community have been quick to get behind the shattered family, with a Meal Train organized on Thursday night having already raised over $23,000.
It said: 'In the wake of an unimaginable tragedy, the Summer family is grieving the heartbreaking loss of their sweet 5-year-old son, Rhoam.
'There are no words that can ease the pain of losing a child, and no family should ever have to experience a loss like this.
'As they navigate the days and weeks ahead, we want to come together as a community to surround them with love, compassion, and support.'
One mother also paid tribute to the youngster, saying: 'Rhoam was a wonderful friend to my boys, and to our whole family.
'I don’t have any great or inspirational words. It’s hard to find any words really. He was precious and full of pure love.
'We will always remember him, and have him in our hearts. This is a nightmare, but I know we need to remain strong, and supportive of his family and the families of others right now.
'And our community as a whole. We need each other more than ever today. If you can, please help Rhoam’s family during this time that is just unimaginable. So many prayers heard today.
'We need to keep them going. Don’t let up. We all love you very much Rhoam and Summer family.'
The youngster is seen here alongside his mother in images shared to her social media
A woman grieves at a candlelight memorial out front of Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday evening
The teenager was holding on to the firearm when a man in a pickup idling outside noticed he was heading towards the school, personnel are seen here working the scene on Thursday
It has also since emerged that the children inside were dressed their best ahead of photo day, with one girl who had to hide in silence too traumatized to sleep.
Hannah Ferrie told The New York Times that her two young daughters, ages five and seven, are so scared after surviving Thursday's shooting.
She said her seven-year-old was forced to sit in silence next to her second-grade teacher after they heard gunshots and glass shattering, and now she can't leave her mother's side and is too scared to sleep alone.
'It’s such a relief, and also a feeling of profound guilt that other parents didn’t get that,' Ferrie said.
'This is a systemic problem that the United States exclusively has. It’s because we value Second Amendment rights over children’s lives, and that has to change. If I hear another thing that says thoughts and prayers, I will be even more disgusted.'
The identity of a hero father who followed the gunman into the school and shot him dead has not yet been shared.
Families are seen at a reunification center after Thursday's shooting
One onlooker was sitting in his red Toyota Tacoma idling outside the school when he spotted the teen approaching the Silver Rail building with his gun.
Concerned by what he saw, the driver confronted the teen who returned a series of shots at the vehicle. A second good Samaritan then confronted the shooter inside the school and killed him.
A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press the teen used a pump-action shotgun that was purchased by his mother.
Photos shared online showed the Toyota with three bullet holes lining the bottom of the passenger-side door and another two near the front of the door. Two more bullet holes chipped off the paint on the base of the truck's bed.
The rear passenger-side window was also apparently left completely shattered, with no glass visible.
After opening fire on the truck, the assailant allegedly threw his gun over the school fence and hopped over – prompting the driver to call Deschutes County dispatchers at around 12.59pm.
As Bend police officers then raced to the scene, the gunman shot at the school's locked doors. It is unclear how far into the building he got before being killed.