Boy Who Survived Mass Shooting Dies in Boating Accident

In a heartbreaking turn of fate, 17-year-old Johnny Phommathep II, who survived the horrific Rancho Tehama Reserve mass shooting in 2017, has tragically lost his life in a boating accident off the coast of California. His younger brother, Jake, and father, Johnny Phommathep Sr., are among four still missing after the devastating incident.

On Nov. 4, 2024, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Johnny’s death, revealing that the teenager’s body was found a day earlier after the boat they were on capsized while crabbing near Bodega Bay on Nov. 2. Authorities have not yet located his father or younger brother, who were also on the boat. In total, six people were on board — three adults and three juveniles. One of the children was rescued, but the others remain unaccounted for.

“We offer our deepest condolences to Johnny’s family,” the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.

Johnny, a high school student from Corning, had been a survivor of the brutal Rancho Tehama shooting that left five people dead. That massacre, which took place at Rancho Tehama Elementary School, shattered his life and the lives of those around him. Johnny and his younger brother Jake, now 14, were among the few who survived the attack, along with their mother, Tiffany, who was critically wounded, taking five bullets while trying to protect her sons.

Tiffany, devastated by the latest tragedy, told reporters, “It’s really hard because both my sons, Johnny Jr. and Jake, they survived the Rancho Tehama shooting.” She added, “We survived that, and for them to come to their end like this…” her voice trailed off in grief. “Already one tragedy…and now this.”

With four family members still missing, Tiffany is clinging to hope. “The odds are not likely… but I would like to hold on to hope that maybe they reached shore somewhere,” she said in an interview with The Los Angeles Times.

The group had been on a 21-foot white Bayliner boat when it began to take on water rapidly. According to authorities and the 11-year-old boy who miraculously survived, they had no time to call for help. The boy, whose identity has not been disclosed, managed to stay afloat by clinging to a cooler. He made it to shore, where he spent the night alone before walking along Highway 1 the next morning. He was discovered by passersby and rescued. “It’s really miraculous that he made it,” said Sonoma County Sheriff spokesperson Misti Wood.

Tiffany added that everyone aboard the boat had life jackets, and the group was experienced with boating. “They didn’t do anything else besides making sure everybody had a life jacket,” she said. The young boy’s survival has been described as nothing short of a miracle.

The missing adults have been identified as Tiffany’s husband’s cousin, Prasong Khammoungkhoune, 45, who owned the boat, and his longtime friend, Matthew Ong, 42. The search for them continues.

Johnny’s passing has left a deep void in his community. “He wanted to get into college, he wanted to be a pharmacist,” Tiffany reflected. “He was such a good kid.”

A GoFundMe campaign set up by Rancho Tehama Elementary’s school secretary has raised more than $37,500 to support the grieving family. The search efforts are ongoing as authorities and volunteers scour the waters for the missing.

Tiffany, still reeling from unimaginable loss, expressed her pain: “Both my sons, Johnny and Jake, have been through so much. They survived one tragedy, and now…” she paused, unable to finish the sentence. The family’s tragic journey seems to have no end in sight.

This devastating turn of events has left an entire community in shock. What began as a relaxing crabbing trip turned into yet another nightmare for a family already ravaged by loss.