Kaylub Giamanco stopped the Oregon school shooter after one teacher fought the suspect. Four victims died at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend.
BEND, OREGON — Kaylub Giamanco, a father of two students, fatally shot the teenage attacker at Silver Rail Elementary after a teacher confronted him. Four victims were killed in the October 15 attack.
New details about the deadly shooting at an Oregon elementary school have revealed how a father, a teacher and another witness attempted to intervene during an attack that killed three children and an educator, leaving a community mourning its losses.
Kaylub Giamanco, 36, was identified by his family as the armed parent who confronted and fatally shot the teenage gunman inside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
His actions followed an extraordinary confrontation in which a teacher threw her cellphone at the attacker and physically struggled with him inside a classroom.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz described both interventions as courageous during a Friday news conference, explaining that the response unfolded within minutes of the first emergency call.
Four people were killed by the attacker: three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert. Another child and a second teacher were injured.
Although Giamanco's intervention ended the attack, his family has emphasized that he is not seeking public attention. Instead, relatives have requested privacy as the community confronts the consequences of the violence.
Who Is Kaylub Giamanco, the Father Who Stopped the Gunman?
Giamanco is a lifelong Bend resident and a carpenter whose two daughters attend Silver Rail Elementary School, according to statements from his family reported by the Associated Press.
He was driving near the school when he became aware of gunfire and saw the armed suspect moving toward the building.
The attacker had already confronted another motorist and fired at a pickup truck. As the suspect proceeded toward the school, Giamanco entered the parking lot and retrieved a legally possessed .40-caliber pistol from his vehicle.
Rather than remaining outside, he pursued the gunman into the school.
Police said the suspect had broken through the glass panels of locked exterior doors using a shotgun before entering a classroom.
Giamanco followed the sounds of gunfire and reached the classroom, where he encountered the teenager struggling with a teacher who had attempted to stop him.
According to investigators, Giamanco fired several rounds from his pistol, fatally wounding the suspect.
The intervention brought an end to the attack before police could confront the gunman.
The family later identified Giamanco publicly, although Bend police initially declined to release the civilian's name.
His mother, Kenda Freeman, delivered a statement expressing the family's appreciation for first responders, educators and residents who had offered support.
The message also made clear that Giamanco did not want his actions to overshadow the victims or the suffering of their relatives.
How the Silver Rail Elementary Shooting Unfolded
Police identified the attacker as Griffin J. John II, a 16-year-old who previously attended Silver Rail Elementary.
According to the Bend Police Department, the first emergency call was received at approximately 12:59 p.m. on October 15.
A motorist reported being shot at by a person carrying a long gun near the school.
Investigators said the teenager had thrown his shotgun over a fence, climbed over the barrier and continued toward the school.
The driver of a red pickup truck challenged the suspect before the teenager fired at the vehicle, striking it several times. The motorist escaped without injury and contacted emergency services.
The suspect then approached the school's secured entrance.
Police said he fired through the glass panes of locked double doors, allowing him to enter the building.
He proceeded into a classroom serving students with special educational needs.
The gunman used a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and fired as many as 15 rounds during the attack, according to investigators.
Officers later recovered additional ammunition, including approximately 44 unfired rounds.
The number of remaining rounds demonstrates that the attacker still possessed ammunition when the confrontation ended. It does not establish how much longer the shooting would have continued without intervention.
Police have not established a publicly confirmed motive.
Authorities are also investigating how the teenager obtained the shotgun and the circumstances leading to the attack.
Teacher Fought the Attacker Before Giamanco Arrived
One of the most significant details disclosed by police concerns the actions of a teacher who directly confronted the gunman inside the classroom.
Krantz said the educator initially threw her cellphone at the teenager and then tackled him.
The two struggled as the gunman remained armed.
When Giamanco reached the classroom, he encountered the confrontation and fired his pistol at the attacker.
The teacher who physically engaged the suspect survived without injury, police said.
That distinction is important because another educator, Megan Lambert, was among the four people killed.
The teacher who intervened and Lambert were different individuals.
Police praised the surviving educator's actions, crediting the confrontation with helping interrupt the attack.
The sequence also illustrates the narrow window during which the emergency unfolded.
The initial report, the suspect's entry into the school, the shooting inside the classroom and the final intervention all occurred within a matter of minutes.
The actions of the motorist who called emergency services, the teacher who confronted the shooter and Giamanco were separate interventions in the same rapidly developing emergency.
Investigators have not suggested that the participants coordinated their responses.
Instead, the accounts describe individuals reacting to the circumstances they encountered.
Four Victims Killed and Two Others Injured
The human cost of the shooting extends far beyond the confrontation that ended it.
Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, died alongside teacher Megan Lambert, 25.
Authorities identified the youngest victim as Rhoam Summer, a five-year-old kindergarten student remembered by relatives for his energy, curiosity and affection for stuffed animals.
Lambert's family described an educator who cared deeply about children, particularly students requiring additional educational support.
Her relatives remembered her commitment to helping others and the compassion she brought to her work.
A seven-year-old student was also wounded and received emergency medical attention before being transported to a hospital.
Another teacher, 54-year-old Becky Drury, was injured in the attack and underwent surgery, according to information reported by the Associated Press.
The two surviving injured victims remained an important focus of concern as the community received updates about the consequences of the shooting.
Officials have sought to protect the privacy of affected families while releasing information needed to inform the public.
The tragedy has been especially devastating because the victims were children and school personnel carrying out an ordinary school day.
Silver Rail Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth-grade students and had approximately 450 enrolled during the previous academic year.
For families across Bend, the shooting has transformed a familiar neighborhood school into the center of an extensive criminal investigation and a community-wide period of mourning.
Why Investigators Are Examining the Shooter's Past
The identification of the 16-year-old suspect has raised questions about his previous connection to the school.
Police confirmed that Griffin J. John II had attended Silver Rail Elementary and had previously participated in educational services for students requiring additional support.
However, that history does not establish why he selected the school or the classroom he entered.
The Associated Press reported that the teenager had previously participated in a district program intended to support students experiencing significant behavioral and social difficulties.
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the attack, including access to the weapon, the suspect's movements and any evidence that may help explain his intentions.
A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the shotgun had been purchased by the teenager's mother.
Authorities have not publicly established all the circumstances under which he gained possession of the firearm.
These questions are relevant to determining whether warning signs were missed or whether existing safety measures were circumvented.
Nevertheless, investigators have cautioned that the motive remains unresolved.
A suspect's educational history or disability status should not be treated as an explanation for violent conduct without evidence demonstrating a connection.
What the Intervention Means for the School Safety Debate
Giamanco's actions have drawn attention to the role of armed civilians during active-shooter incidents.
The Oregon father was legally carrying a pistol and happened to be near the school when the attack occurred.
His intervention was therefore not part of a planned school security deployment.
According to research discussed by the Associated Press, an analysis by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center identified 29 incidents in which armed civilians shot attackers among 634 mass attacks studied between 2000 and 2025.
The figures provide important context: although armed civilian interventions receive significant attention, they represent a relatively small share of the incidents studied.
The statistic should not be interpreted as measuring how frequently every kind of civilian action prevents harm. It addresses a specific type of intervention within a defined research dataset.
The Oregon attack may renew disagreements about firearm access, school protection measures and the role of armed individuals in public emergencies.
Supporters of broader lawful firearm carrying may view Giamanco's actions as evidence that an armed civilian can intervene before police reach an attacker.
Others emphasize the risks of introducing additional firearms into a chaotic emergency and argue that preventing unauthorized access to weapons remains essential.
Both issues are part of a wider national discussion about school safety.
In Bend, however, officials have focused primarily on reconstructing the sequence of events, supporting survivors and determining how the teenager obtained the weapon.
The case also shows that civilian intervention took more than one form: an early witness contacted emergency services, a teacher physically confronted the attacker and a parent used a firearm to end the violence.
Family Requests Privacy as Bend Mourns
Public attention has increasingly focused on Giamanco since his family confirmed his identity.
His mother said he was grateful for the support he had received but did not want recognition.
Relatives also indicated that the events had been emotionally difficult and asked reporters to respect the family's privacy.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek acknowledged the courage of the civilian who intervened while recognizing the emotional consequences of what he experienced.
President Donald Trump also praised Giamanco's actions during remarks to reporters on Friday.
Yet the response from families in Bend has emphasized both gratitude and grief.
Flowers, candles, balloons and stuffed animals have been placed near the school as residents gather to remember the victims.
Community members have held vigils, supported affected families and expressed appreciation for educators and emergency personnel.
Schools across Bend canceled classes and activities on Friday, allowing families and staff time to respond to the tragedy.
Police said investigators would maintain a substantial presence around the school as they continued collecting evidence and examining the attacker's movements.
For a community of approximately 100,000 people, the consequences reach well beyond the immediate victims.
Students, educators, first responders and parents now face the difficult process of coping with an act of violence that occurred in a place intended to provide safety and education.
Investigators Continue Searching for Answers
The known facts establish that Giamanco fatally shot the attacker, a teacher fought the teenager inside the classroom, and an earlier witness alerted emergency services.
Questions nevertheless remain about the attacker's motive, access to the shotgun and any circumstances that might have allowed the shooting to be prevented.
Police have said the investigation will take time.
Giamanco's family has asked that attention remain on those affected by the shooting rather than on his personal recognition.
As Bend mourns three children and a teacher, the story is ultimately one of devastating loss as well as intervention.
The actions of people who confronted the attacker form an important part of the investigation. They do not diminish the deaths, injuries or enduring consequences for families whose lives were changed at Silver Rail Elementary School.
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