The shooting left three students and an educator dead, along with the 16-year-old assailant, police said. Saylor was taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries. Her family declined an interview through friend Trisia Lovejoy, who said Saylor’s recovery will be a long process.

“Saylor is an amazing spirit and represents joy and love and unbridled happiness,” Lovejoy said in a text. “She is loved and supported by her family all around the world.”

Saylor has CASK, a rare gene-related disorder that affects brain development and can cause significant physical and cognitive challenges. Fewer than 600 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the disorder, according to a research group tracking CASK cases. Saylor often uses a wheelchair and does not speak.

In a video made in 2024, Saylor communicated that the condition brings uncertainty and can be frightening for her family, but that she still finds joy in smiling, laughing and spending time with other children. She said she enjoys the animated show “Bluey” and being with her brother.

Saylor was selected as Bend Senior High School’s 2024-25 Sparrow through Sparrow Clubs, a nonprofit that connects students with children facing serious medical conditions. Students take part in service projects to unlock donor funds for the children and their families. Central Oregon Sparrow Clubs called Saylor “a beam of light” who had made a major impact on the student body.

After the shooting, two fundraisers were set up to support Saylor’s family. They had raised more than $846,000 combined by Sunday afternoon. Project CASK, a nonprofit supporting research into the disorder, also organized an online prayer gathering and urged people to support the family.

The shooting has left families and the wider Bend community grieving. Project CASK’s message of support extended to Saylor’s family and to others in Bend mourning loved ones or coping with the lasting effects of the violence.