In brief
The father who intercepted a gunman at Bend’s Silver Rail Elementary describes his anguish over children he could not save. The shooting left three boys and a teacher dead, prompting the former pupil’s father to intervene and end the attack. While hailed as a hero, the family grapples with loss and the community seeks answers on motive and prevention. Governor Tina Kotek acknowledged the heavy emotional burden carried by the father, underscoring the broader issue of gun violence in American schools.
When a former student took a gun to Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, most of the parents thought the father would be safe. 36‑year‑old Kaylub Giamanco, who was passing the school that morning, stepped in to stop the shooting.
Three young boys – aged 5, 8 and 11 – and a teacher were killed. The lethal gunman, Griffin J. John II, was a former pupil who had attended special‑education classes. Giamanco fired twice, breaking the attack before more lives were lost.
In a recent interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, Giamanco said he could not bear the memory of ‘hearing children pleading for their lives’ and expressed a deep regret that he could not save more children. ‘I want to apologise for not saving their babies,’ he told reporters.
He called his wife before the attack and later his mother to clarify what had transpired: ‘Mum, I just had to take the life of what I think is a child who ran into my daughter’s school with a gun.’
Police identified the attacker, a former pupil claiming a motive that remains under investigation. A teacher who confronted the gunman threw a phone at him and tackled him, actions credited by police as averting further bloodshed.
Governor Tina Kotek praised Giamanco’s bravery while acknowledging the emotional toll. ‘Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,’ she said.
Giamanco remains haunted, admitting he now sleeps with the echo of the attack replaying in his mind. ‘I relive, I see faces, I hear voices, I hear screams,’ he said.
