Father who stopped Oregon school shooter fired six times

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter, fatally shot a 16-year-old gunman inside Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon earlier this month. The attack killed three students and a teacher, with two others injured. Giamanco spoke publicly for the first time in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting that aired on Friday.

The incident began on a routine morning. Giamanco had spent extra time preparing his daughters for school picture day. He drove to work but returned home to eat lunch with his wife. On the way, he passed the school as the attack started. He initially thought a man carrying a long gun was joking, but changed his mind when he saw the attacker fire at a pickup truck and move toward the building.

Giamanco retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and called emergency services. He told the broadcaster, 'I'm sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die.' He followed the attacker, who shot through the school's locked glass doors. Hearing children plead for help, Giamanco crawled toward the building. He entered through a shattered window and reached a classroom where a teacher was struggling with the gunman. He opened the door and fired. He shot again when the attacker reached for his weapon.

Giamanco then placed his gun on the ground and raised his hands as a police officer arrived. He described himself as the 'last line of defence' between the children and the shooter. After calling his wife and his mother, he lay awake replaying the events. He said, 'I relive, I see faces, I hear voices, I hear screams.'

In the interview, Giamanco addressed the parents of the victims. '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 expressed a desire to meet the families and 'cry with them and hold them.' He also credited the teacher who fought the attacker for giving him a chance to intervene without being killed. 'I would love to give her a hug because that's a real true hero,' he said.

Police identified the gunman as Griffin J John II, a former student who attended special education classes at the school. His motive remains under investigation. The teacher who confronted him threw her phone at the attacker, tackled him, and fought to take his shotgun. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said she 'almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.'

The three students killed were boys aged five, eight, and 11. The youngest victim, Rhoam Summer, was five years old. His father said the family was 'broken and lost.' The other two boys have not been named at their families' request. The teacher killed, Megan Lambert, was 25. Her family described the position as her 'dream job' and noted that she 'always fought for the underdog and those with special needs.' The injured teacher is Becky Drury, 54, who said she was shot 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 saying he was not seeking recognition and asking for privacy. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised his intervention while acknowledging the emotional cost. 'Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,' she said.