Silver Rail Elementary: Father's account of saving his daughters

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter, fatally shot the 16-year-old gunman who attacked his daughters' school in Oregon. The incident occurred earlier this month at Silver Rail Elementary. Giamanco spoke in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting that aired on Friday to describe the events and the emotional weight of the day.

Three students and one teacher died during the attack. Six people were shot in total inside a classroom. The victims included three boys aged five, eight, and 11. Two other individuals, a teacher and another child, were wounded. The attacker, identified as Griffin J John II, was a former student at the school. He had previously attended special education classes there.

Giamanco explained that the morning started normally with breakfast and packed lunches. It was school picture day, so he and his wife spent extra time preparing their daughters. He originally planned to take his lunch to work but decided to return home to eat with his wife. This change in routine put him near the school as the violence began.

He first noticed a person carrying a long gun and thought it might be a prank. The person then fired at a pickup truck and walked toward the school building. Giamanco grabbed a handgun from his car and called emergency services. He told the dispatcher, 'I'm sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die.'

The attacker shot through the school's locked glass doors. Giamanco heard children pleading for their lives. He crawled toward the building through a shattered window. Inside, he found a teacher locked in a physical struggle with the gunman. Giamanco opened the classroom door and fired. He shot again when the attacker reached for his weapon.

Giamanco placed his gun on the floor and raised his hands when a police officer arrived. He described himself as the last line of defense between the children and the shooter. He stated that he felt he was supposed to be there that day. He called his wife to tell her to come to the school immediately. He then called his mother to share the news.

Police said the teacher who fought the gunman threw her phone at him and tackled him to the ground. She tried to take his shotgun. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said she almost certainly helped prevent more casualties. Giamanco credited her with giving him the chance to intervene without losing his own life. He called her a true hero.

The youngest victim was Rhoam Summer, who was five years old. His father said the family felt broken and lost. Megan Lambert, 25, was the teacher who died. Her family described the role as her dream job and noted that she always fought for students with special needs. The other two boys have not been publicly named.

Becky Drury, 54, was the other teacher injured in the attack. She said in a statement that the gunman shot her as she tried to close her classroom door. Giamanco's name became public less than a day after the shooting. His mother, Kenda Freeman, read a family statement asking for privacy and noting that he did not seek recognition.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised Giamanco's actions. She said his intervention carried a heavy emotional burden. Giamanco told OPB that he now lies awake at night replaying the events. He said he sees faces, hears voices, and hears screams.