Dad Hailed Hero After Stopping Oregon Elementary School Shooting
Kaylub Giamanco confronted the teenage gunman by crawling through a shattered window, his mother said.
A father is being hailed as a hero for stopping a teenage gunman at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday. Kaylub Giamanco, 36, confronted 16-year-old Griffin John II after the teenager opened fire on the school just before 1 p.m.
According to Giamanco's mother, Kenda Freeman, her son noticed something was wrong and drove his vehicle onto the grass. He then retrieved his own firearm and "stalked the gunman back into the school," Freeman told CBS News. Giamanco reportedly "army crawled" through a window that the shooter had shattered.
Freeman recounted a phone call from her son moments after the confrontation. "He said: 'Mom, I just shot and killed somebody,'" she recalled. "I said: 'Kaylub, tell me about it.' He said: 'A man went into my daughter's school and shot kids,' and he said, 'And I looked at him point-blank, and I shot and killed him, Mom.'"
The incident resulted in the deaths of three students and one teacher before Giamanco intervened. Among the victims were five-year-old Rhoam Summer and teacher Meghan Lambert, 25. Seven-year-old Saylor Graham and educational assistant Becky Drury were injured.
Police stated that John fired 15 rounds before he was killed by Giamanco. The shooter reportedly targeted a special needs classroom, where he had previously been a student. John used a gun his mother had purchased for him around his 16th birthday. Investigators are still determining how he obtained ammunition.
Giamanco, a carpenter and father of two young daughters who attend Silver Rail Elementary, holds a concealed carry license, his mother said. His actions were praised by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, who credited him with preventing further loss of life. "To the community member who heroically intervened... your actions carry a heavy emotional burden and I want you to know my thoughts are with you as well," Kotek said. Former President Donald Trump also commended Giamanco, stating, "We had a great hero that went in and did the business."
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support Giamanco and his family, aiming to cover therapy, potential legal expenses, and time off work. By Saturday afternoon, the fundraiser had garnered nearly $280,000.
Dr. Steven Cook, Superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools, expressed heartbreak over the tragedy, thanking emergency responders and school staff for their efforts. "Today, an unthinkable tragedy happened at Silver Rail Elementary School," he said. "We are heartbroken. We are horrified."