A 36-year-old father, Kaylub Giamanco, fatally shot an armed 16-year-old on Thursday after the teenager opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. According to authorities, the attack resulted in the deaths of three children and one teacher before Giamanco intervened. Police reported on Friday that the shooter, identified as Griffin J. John II, appeared to have been targeting a classroom of children with special needs.
Giamanco’s mother, Kenda Freeman of Sacramento, stated that her son was driving during his lunch break when he observed the gunman on the school campus. According to Freeman, Giamanco pulled his vehicle onto the grass, retrieved his legally owned firearm, and entered the building by crawling through a window that had been shattered by gunfire. Freeman reported that her son then located the gunman and shot him at close range.
Bend police identified the weapon used by the 16-year-old as a shotgun purchased by his mother. Investigators said on Friday that the suspect fired up to 15 rounds during the incident. In addition to the four fatalities, another child and a teacher were wounded in the attack; both remained hospitalized as of Friday. Giamanco’s two children, who attend the school, were not harmed.
What happens next: Medical recovery continues for the two hospitalized victims while police investigate the circumstances of the shooting and the source of the weapon. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and community members have offered praise for Giamanco’s actions. Long-term impacts on school security policies or regional firearm regulations have not been determined.