Oregon father speaks out after stopping elementary school shooter

A father who killed an armed intruder at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, spoke publicly on Friday about the attack. Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter and father of two students at the school, recounted hearing children pleading for their lives during the shooting. BBC News, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and The Guardian all reported on his first public statements regarding the incident. [1][3][4][7]

The gunman, identified as 16-year-old former student Griffin J. John II, entered the school on October 15, 2026, by jumping over a fence and shooting through the glass panels of a locked door using a shotgun. BBC News and Wikipedia reported that the shooter killed three children and one teacher, and injured another student and a teaching assistant, inside a special education classroom before Giamanco intervened. [1][7]

Giamanco followed the shooter into the building after seeing him enter. BBC News and Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that Giamanco expressed deep anguish over the victims he was unable to save, stating in an interview that he wanted to apologize to the parents of the deceased children. [1][3]

Authorities and media reports noted that Giamanco has been widely praised for stopping further loss of life during the shooting. Investigations into the details of the attack in Bend, Oregon, remain ongoing following the event. [1][7]