Father who stopped Oregon school gunman describes anguish over children he could not save

The father who fatally shot a teenage gunman at an Oregon elementary school has described his anguish over the children he could not save, offering a painful account of an intervention police say prevented further deaths. Kaylub Giamanco’s two daughters attend Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, where three children and a teacher were killed.

Speaking to Oregon Public Broadcasting in an interview published on Oct. 23, Giamanco said gratitude from other parents had not eased his feelings about those who died. He described wishing he had reached the victims in time and feeling that he had failed their families, despite the praise he has received.

The attack took place on Oct. 15, when a 16-year-old armed with a shotgun entered the school and opened fire in a special education classroom. The children killed were aged five, eight and 11. Two other people were injured, according to reporting by OPB and The Associated Press.

Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter, told OPB he noticed the armed teenager entering the school where he had dropped off his daughters earlier that day. He called emergency services before retrieving a handgun stored in his truck and following the attacker inside. His account describes a rapid decision made while fearing for the children in the building.

Police have also credited a teacher who confronted the gunman before Giamanco shot him. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the teacher threw a mobile phone at the attacker, then tackled and fought with him. Authorities described her actions as another intervention that likely saved lives.

The teenage attacker was a former pupil at Silver Rail, according to police accounts reported by AP. Giamanco’s confrontation ended the shooting, but it came after the four victims had suffered fatal injuries. That distinction lies at the centre of his account: stopping the attacker has not removed his distress over the deaths.

OPB reported that Giamanco has been grappling both with the violence he witnessed and with having taken the teenager’s life. He described the shooting as the most frightening day of his life. His interview shifts attention from the public description of him as a hero to the emotional burden he says he is carrying.

The aftermath also includes questions from bereaved families about how the attack happened. AP reported that the parents of the youngest child killed had hired lawyers to examine school safety procedures and how the teenager obtained his weapon. Those inquiries are separate from the praise authorities have directed at the people who confronted him.

For Giamanco, the immediate aftermath remains focused on the victims and their families rather than recognition for his actions. Police say he saved lives; his account to OPB makes clear that he is still struggling with those he could not save. Further scrutiny of school procedures and the weapon’s acquisition will accompany that personal reckoning.