A 36-year-old father who shot and killed a teenage gunman during a deadly attack at an Oregon elementary school has revealed the final words he said to the assailant moments before ending the shooting.
Kaylub Giamanco was driving home for lunch on October 15 when he passed Silver Rail Elementary School, where his two daughters, aged five and 10, are pupils.
He noticed 16-year-old Griffin J John II, who was carrying out a shooting inside the school.
Giamanco said he immediately sensed something was wrong and switched into what he described as a mission mode.
Speaking to CBS Mornings on Tuesday, he recalled how his instincts took over as he assessed the unfolding situation.
“It was like fight or flight,” he said.
“Something clicked and I analyzed the situation.
I knew something was up and all the emotions fled out of me.”
Giamanco Recalls His Final Exchange With the Shooter
Giamanco said he confronted John after entering the school and eventually shot him.
However, the teenager was still attempting to regain control of his weapon after being hit by the first gunshot.
According to Giamanco, John appeared to be struggling with his firearm and tried to say something to him.
But the father responded with a two-word expletive.
“F*** you,” Giamanco recalled telling the teenager.
He said whatever the shooter had intended to say was irrelevant to him because he already knew innocent children had been killed.
“I just knew that he had just taken lives of innocent little babies, 5, 8 and 11,” he told the programme.
Teacher Fought the Gunman Before Giamanco Arrived
Before confronting the shooter, Giamanco called 911 and rushed into the school, abandoning his original plan to have lunch with his wife, Kelsey.
He described crawling into the building before looking through a window into the special needs classroom where the attack was taking place.
Inside, he spotted John struggling with 28-year-old teacher Cassidy Schutz.
Giamanco said the confrontation between the teacher and the gunman created a brief opportunity for him to intervene.
He explained that he realised John was not paying attention to him, allowing him to open the classroom door and enter.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz had previously revealed that Schutz threw her phone at the teenager before tackling him and fighting to take his firearm away.
The teacher was not injured during the confrontation.
Krantz praised her actions, describing them as incredible and saying they almost certainly prevented further bloodshed.
Teacher Initially Mistook Giamanco for Another Shooter
After shooting John, Giamanco made eye contact with Schutz, who was visibly terrified.
The teacher initially believed Giamanco was another armed attacker during the confusion.
He recalled that she immediately ran out of the building.
Giamanco said he also placed his firearm on the ground and went to check on her, but she continued running away.
He acknowledged that the reaction was understandable given the circumstances, although it was difficult for him after entering the school to help stop the attack.
Father Describes Emotional Impact of the Shooting
Giamanco said he did not fully process what had happened until police officers arrived and he was able to contact his wife and mother.
He recalled experiencing chest palpitations as the reality of the incident began to sink in.
Although his two daughters were safe, he said he struggled with the knowledge that other families would not be able to hold their children that night.
The father also explained that he was having conversations with his 10-year-old daughter to help her understand what had happened.
He said he explained his actions by telling her that he had simply done what he believed was right.
Giamanco stressed that taking another person’s life was not something he had wanted to do that day, but protecting his children and others was important to him.
Gunman Killed Three Children and a Teacher
The October 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School left five people dead, including the teenage gunman, and two others injured.
The three children killed were aged five, eight and 11.
Five-year-old Rhoam Summer, who had only started kindergarten the previous month, was identified as the youngest victim.
The teacher killed in the attack was Megan Lambert, 25, of Bend.
Her family said working at the school had been her dream job.
The two other children who died were boys aged eight and 11.
Their identities were withheld by police at their families’ request.
Two other victims, educational assistant Rebecca Drury, 54, and seven-year-old Saylor Graham-Poarch, were taken to hospital with injuries.
Saylor, who uses a wheelchair, was shot in the face during the attack.
Police said John used a pump-action long gun, similar to a rifle or shotgun, which had reportedly been purchased by his mother.
Giamanco Struggles With Memories of the Attack
Despite stopping the gunman, Giamanco said he continues to experience distressing memories of the shooting, particularly at night.
He described struggling to close his eyes without remembering the sounds of children screaming and pleading for their lives.
The carpenter has not yet returned to work and said he is considering a change in career following the incident.
He revealed that he was considering establishing a nonprofit organisation focused on children’s mental health and school security.
Giamanco said the experience had left him reflecting on how he could help prevent similar tragedies and support children in schools.
He also acknowledged the emotional difficulty of knowing that, while his own daughters survived, other families were left grieving the loss of their children.
