Oregon shooter's father recounts rescue

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter, fatally shot a 16-year-old gunman at Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon earlier this month. The attack resulted in the deaths of three students and a teacher. Giamanco spoke publicly for the first time in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting that aired on Friday, October 17, 2026.

The incident began when Giamanco returned home from work to eat lunch with his wife. He had originally planned to take his packed lunch to the job site. Instead, he drove past the school as the attacker, identified as Griffin J John II, opened fire. Giamanco saw the gunman shoot at a pickup truck before heading toward the building. He retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and called emergency services.

Giamanco stated that he initially thought someone might be playing a prank with a long gun. He heard children pleading for their lives and heard more gunfire. He crawled through a shattered window into a classroom where a teacher was struggling with the gunman. Giamanco opened the door and fired. He shot the attacker again when the boy reached for his weapon. Giamanco then placed his gun on the floor and raised his hands when an officer arrived.

The gunman had previously shot through the school's locked glass doors. Police reported that six people were shot in total. Three boys, aged five, eight, and 11, were killed. Megan Lambert, a 25-year-old teacher, was also killed. Another teacher, Becky Drury, 54, and one other child were wounded. Drury stated that the gunman shot her as she tried to close her classroom door.

Giamanco credited a teacher who fought the attacker with giving him the chance to intervene. He said he wanted to meet the victims' families to comfort them. He described the day as feeling like his last line of defense for the children. Giamanco said he now lies awake at night replaying the events. He hears voices and screams while trying to sleep.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the teacher who fought the attacker almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed. The teacher had thrown her phone at the gunman and tackled him. The gunman, a former student who had attended special education classes at the school, was identified by police. His motive remains under investigation. The two other boys killed have not been publicly named at their families' request.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised Giamanco for his actions. She acknowledged the emotional burden of his decision. Giamanco's mother, Kenda Freeman, released a statement asking for privacy for the family. Giamanco said he wanted to apologize to the parents of the children he could not save.