The individual who halted a tragic incident at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, by shooting the teenage assailant on the premises is a father of two daughters attending the school, as confirmed by his mother, Kenda Freeman, on Friday. During the assault on Thursday, Kaylub Giamanco, the man in question, intervened and neutralized the teenage shooter. The attack resulted in the loss of three students and a teacher, with an additional student and teacher sustaining critical injuries.
In a statement relayed to the press, Freeman emphasized that Giamanco, a lifelong resident of Bend, expressed gratitude towards the first responders, school staff, and the community for their overwhelming support. The authorities have not disclosed the identity of the person who shot the gunman, only revealing that the suspect was discovered deceased inside the school shortly after the initial reports of the incident. Neither the gunman’s identity nor the individual who fired the fatal shot has been disclosed.
Following the tragic events, Governor Tina Kotek commended Giamanco, without explicitly naming him, for his courageous actions in pursuing the assailant into the school, which helped cease the violence and potentially saved lives as law enforcement responded to the scene. Meanwhile, tributes including flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals have been placed around the school, located in a densely populated neighborhood with newly constructed residences.
The 16-year-old suspect, a local resident of Bend, was found deceased within the school premises after the authorities were alerted, according to Police Chief Mike Krantz. The attacker gained access to the school by shooting through locked doors, resulting in the fatalities of children aged five, eight, and 11, along with a teacher. Another child and a teacher sustained critical injuries and were transported to the hospital.
The assailant used a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother, as revealed by a law enforcement official familiar with the case. Per Oregon law, a minor can possess a shotgun if provided by a parent or with parental consent. The police have not determined if the perpetrator had any affiliation with the school or if he had attended it previously.
The first emergency call reporting gunfire at the school came from an individual outside the premises, followed by additional calls from within the school. Law enforcement promptly responded to the scene, with the attacker being subdued shortly after their arrival. The school, serving students from kindergarten to Grade 5 with approximately 450 enrolled students last year, swiftly organized transportation for the children to a nearby church acting as a family reunification center.
Residents of Bend gathered for a vigil, where children and adults alike expressed their condolences through chalk drawings and candlelight. All educational and extracurricular activities across the 32 schools in the area were suspended on the subsequent day. Bend, a prominent city in central Oregon known for its tourism and outdoor recreation, has witnessed a surge in population over recent decades.
The tragic incident marks the 28th mass killing in the United States this year, according to data compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University. Notably, four years ago in Bend, an ex-U.S. Army grocery store employee confronted a gunman inside the store, resulting in casualties before the assailant took his own life.