A 36-year-old father who fatally shot a gunman at his daughters’ elementary school in Oregon has described the emotional toll of the attack, saying he remains haunted by the children he was unable to save.
Kaylub Giamanco intervened during the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School earlier this month, killing the 16-year-old former pupil responsible for the attack.
Three boys, aged five, eight and 11, and a teacher were killed. Another child and a teacher were wounded.
Speaking to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) in an interview aired on Friday, Giamanco said he felt sorrow for the families who lost their children.
“I want to apologise for not saving their babies,” he said.
“The gratitude for saving people’s children is awesome, but there were ones that I didn’t save.”
He said he hoped to meet the victims’ families to share their grief, adding that he wanted to “cry with them and hold them”.
Teacher’s Fight With Gunman Gave Father a Chance to Intervene
Giamanco credited a teacher who confronted the attacker with helping create an opportunity for him to enter the classroom.
“I would love to give her a hug because that’s a real true hero,” he told OPB.
Police said the teacher threw her phone at the gunman, tackled him and struggled to take his shotgun away.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said her actions had “almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed”.
Giamanco said the teacher’s intervention gave him a chance to act without immediately losing his own life.
Unexpected Decision Brought Giamanco Past the School
The carpenter said his day had started with breakfast and preparing packed lunches for his family. He and his wife had spent additional time getting their daughters ready because it was school picture day.
Although he had taken lunch to work, Giamanco decided to return home to eat with his wife. The decision brought him past the school as the attack unfolded.
He initially thought the person carrying a long gun might be involved in a prank. However, he then saw the gunman shoot at a pickup truck before moving towards the school.
Giamanco retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and called emergency services.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die’,” he recalled.
Father Crawled Towards School After Hearing Gunfire
Giamanco followed the attacker, who fired through the school’s locked glass doors.
As he heard further gunshots and children pleading for their lives, he crawled towards the building.
“I told myself this is probably the last thing that I’m ever going to do,” he said.
He then crawled through a shattered window and reached the classroom, where a teacher was struggling with the gunman.
Giamanco opened the classroom door and fired at the attacker. He told OPB that he fired again when the gunman reached for his weapon.
After the shooting, Giamanco placed his handgun on the ground and raised his hands when a police officer appeared.
He described himself as the “last line of defence” between the children and the gunman, saying he believed he was meant to be there that day.
Giamanco Told His Family What Had Happened
After the confrontation, Giamanco called his wife and told her he would not be home for lunch. He urged her to go to the school immediately.
He then contacted his mother to explain what had happened.
“Mum, I just had to take the life of what I think is might be a child because he ran into my daughter’s school with a gun,” he said.
Giamanco’s name became public less than a day after the shooting. His mother, Kenda Freeman, subsequently read a statement on behalf of the family saying he was not seeking recognition and asking for privacy.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised his intervention shortly after the attack while acknowledging the emotional burden he would face.
“Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” she said.
Victims Included Three Boys and a Teacher
Police identified the gunman as Griffin J John II, a former pupil who had attended special education classes at Silver Rail Elementary School. His motive remains under investigation.
The youngest child killed was five-year-old Rhoam Summer. His father said the family was “broken and lost”.
The teacher who died was Megan Lambert, 25, who was working in what her family described as her “dream job”.
“She always fought for the underdog and those with special needs,” her family said.
The other two boys, aged eight and 11, have not been publicly identified at their families’ request.
The injured teacher was identified as Becky Drury, 54. In a statement shared with US media, she said the gunman shot her as she attempted to close her classroom door.
Police said six people in total were shot inside a classroom during the attack.
Father Says He Continues to Relive the Shooting
Giamanco told OPB that the events continue to affect him after he returns home.
He said he often remains awake after the rest of his family has gone to bed, replaying the incident and remembering the people caught up in the violence.
“I relive, I see faces, I hear voices, I hear screams,” he said.
Flowers were placed outside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, following the shooting as community members gathered to mourn the victims.
