Six shots stopped Oregon school attack

Six rounds from a handgun ended a deadly attack at Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon. Kaylub Giamanco, 36, fired those shots to stop a 16-year-old former student who had already killed three pupils and a teacher. The incident occurred earlier this month in the town of Bend.

The timeline of the attack began on a routine morning. Giamanco and his wife prepared their daughters for school picture day, packing lunches and getting them ready. The carpenter initially took his lunch to work but decided to return home to eat with his wife. That decision placed him near the school as the violence started. He saw the gunman fire at a pickup truck before moving toward the building. Giamanco grabbed a handgun from his vehicle and called emergency services, stating he had to go in because people were going to die.

He followed the attacker, who shot through the school's locked glass doors. Giamanco crawled toward the building after hearing children plead for their lives. He told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he considered the moment the last thing he would ever do. He entered through a shattered window and reached a classroom where a teacher was wrestling with the gunman. Giamanco opened the door and fired. He discharged his weapon a second time when the attacker reached for his own gun. He then placed his handgun on the ground and raised his hands as an officer arrived.

Police identified the shooter as Griffin J John II. He had attended special education classes at the school. His motive is still under investigation. The teacher who confronted the attacker threw her phone at him and tackled him in an effort to take his shotgun. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said she almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.

Three boys, aged five, eight, and 11, were killed. The youngest was Rhoam Summer. His father said the family was broken and lost. Megan Lambert, 25, was the teacher killed in the classroom. Her family described her job as a dream and noted that she always fought for underdogs and those with special needs. The other two boys have not been named at their families' request. Teacher Becky Drury, 54, was also wounded. She said the gunman shot her as she tried to shut her classroom door.

Giamanco's identity was released less than a day after the shooting. His mother, Kenda Freeman, read a family statement asking for privacy. She said Giamanco was not seeking recognition. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised his intervention. She told him in a statement that his actions carry a heavy emotional burden.

In an interview that aired on Friday, Giamanco described his current state. He said he lies awake after his family goes to bed. He relives the events, sees faces, hears voices, and hears screams. He wants to meet the victims' families to cry with them and hold them. He also wants to apologize to the parents of the children he could not save.

He credited the teacher who fought the gunman with giving him the chance to intervene without losing his own life. He called her a real true hero. Giamanco said he wants to give her a hug. He described feeling like the last line of defense between the children and the gunman. He said he was supposed to be there that day.