Oregon father describes the cost of stopping a school shooter

Kaylub Giamanco, 36, is facing a new daily routine since the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School earlier this month. He now stays awake after his family goes to bed, replaying the events of that morning in his mind. Giamanco told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he sees faces, hears voices, and recalls the screams of children.

The incident resulted in the deaths of three students and one teacher. A 16-year-old former student, identified by police as Griffin J John II, opened fire inside a classroom. Six people were shot in total. Three boys, aged five, eight, and 11, died, along with teacher Megan Lambert, 25. Two others, a teacher and a child, were wounded.

Giamanco, a carpenter, was near the school because he had decided to eat lunch at home instead of at work. The day had started with breakfast and packing lunches for his daughters, who were having their school pictures taken. His wife had spent extra time getting the children ready. Giamanco was driving past the school when the attack began.

He initially thought the long gun the shooter carried might be a prank. His assumption changed when he saw the attacker fire at a pickup truck and move toward the building. Giamanco retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and called emergency services. He told the dispatcher, 'I'm sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die.'

Police said the shooter forced his way through the school's locked glass doors. Giamanco heard children pleading for their lives before crawling through a shattered window into the classroom. Inside, he found a teacher locked in a struggle with the gunman. Giamanco opened the door and fired. He shot again when the attacker reached for his weapon. Giamanco then placed his gun on the ground and raised his hands as an officer arrived.

Giamanco credited the teacher, who is not publicly named in the source but was described by police as a hero, for creating the opportunity for him to act. He said she threw her phone at the attacker, tackled him, and fought to take his shotgun. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that the teacher 'almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.' Giamanco said he wants to meet her and give her a hug.

The shooter had attended special education classes at the school. His motive remains under investigation. The youngest victim, Rhoam Summer, was five years old. His father described the family as 'broken and lost.' Lambert’s family said she was working in her 'dream job' and always fought for students with special needs.

Giamanco expressed his grief over the children he could not save. He said, 'I want to apologise for not saving their babies. The gratitude for saving people's children is awesome, but there were ones that I didn't save.' He described feeling like the 'last line of defence' between the children and the gunman.

Governor Tina Kotek praised Giamanco’s intervention while acknowledging the emotional weight of his actions. She told him, 'Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well.' Giamanco’s mother, Kenda Freeman, released a family statement shortly after the attack, asking for privacy and noting that her son was not seeking recognition.