Quick Answer: Police in Bend, Oregon, say an unidentified teacher and an armed father, Kaylub Giamanco, stopped 16-year-old Griffin J. John after he opened fire inside Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday. The teacher tackled the gunman while Giamanco fatally shot him. Three children and one teacher were killed.
A teacher who threw her phone at a teenage gunman and an armed father who rushed into a classroom with a licensed pistol are credited with stopping the Oregon elementary school shooting that killed four people, police said Friday. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said their actions at Silver Rail Elementary on Thursday “almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.”
Key Takeaways
- A teacher tackled the 16-year-old gunman inside Silver Rail Elementary, trying to wrestle away his shotgun, police said.
- Armed father Kaylub Giamanco, 36, followed the shooter in and fatally shot him minutes before officers arrived.
- Three children aged 5, 8 and 11 and teacher Meghan Lambert, 25, were killed; two others were seriously wounded.
- The suspect fired up to 15 shots from a shotgun after shooting through locked school doors.
What happened at Silver Rail Elementary
The attack lasted minutes: police received the first call at 12:59 p.m. Thursday and arrived at 1:02 p.m., with the suspect already dead.
The 16-year-old former student fired as many as 15 shotgun rounds inside a special-needs classroom after shooting through locked doors, Chief Krantz said. See our earlier report on the attack.
Three children aged 5, 8 and 11 were killed, along with 25-year-old teacher Meghan Lambert. Police identified the 5-year-old as Rhoam Summer; the other families asked that names be withheld. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were seriously wounded but are stable.
The teacher who fought back
As the shooter moved through the classroom, a teacher threw her cellphone at him, tackled him and tried to wrestle the shotgun from his hands, Krantz said. She was not injured.
“The teacher who was willing to stand and fight for her children, that’s true heroism,” said Krantz, whose voice broke at times. Her name has not been released.
The father who rushed in
Kaylub Giamanco, 36, a father of two girls at the school, was driving home from lunch when he heard gunshots and saw the armed teenager enter. He grabbed his licensed .40-caliber pistol, followed the suspect into the classroom and fired multiple shots, killing him just before police arrived.
His mother, Kenda Freeman, told The New York Times her son was “not seeking recognition” and asked for privacy.
FAQs
Who was the Oregon school shooter?
Griffin J. John, 16, a former student of the school’s special-needs program. He killed four people and wounded two before being stopped. No motive has been announced.
Who is Kaylub Giamanco?
A 36-year-old Bend father of two girls at the school. Per his mother’s statement to The New York Times, he heard gunshots while driving home, grabbed his licensed pistol, followed the shooter inside and fatally shot him. He has asked for privacy.
How did the teacher stop the shooter?
She threw her cellphone at the gunman, tackled him and tried to wrestle the shotgun away. She was not injured. Chief Krantz said her actions “almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.”
How many people died?
Four: three children aged 5, 8 and 11 and teacher Meghan Lambert, 25. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were wounded and are in serious but stable condition.
Sources: Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Sky News, NBC News, The New York Times. This is a developing story; details may change as police release more information.
