Oregon father who ended school shooting speaks about the children he lost

Kaylub Giamanco, 36, fatally shot a 16-year-old gunman at his daughters' school in Oregon earlier this month, an act that ended the attack but left him grappling with the loss of three students and a teacher. In an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting aired on Friday, the carpenter expressed his sorrow for the families of the victims, stating, 'I want to apologise for not saving their babies.' He acknowledged that while gratitude for the survivors exists, he is haunted by those he could not reach.

The attack began at Silver Rail Elementary School, where a former student, Griffin J John II, entered a classroom. Police said six people were shot in total. Three boys, aged five, eight, and 11, died, along with 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert. Two others, including 54-year-old teacher Becky Drury, were wounded. John, who had attended special education classes at the school, was identified by Bend Police. His motive is still under investigation.

Giamanco's presence at the scene was accidental. On the day of the shooting, he had taken his packed lunch to work but decided to return home to eat with his wife. This decision placed him near the school as the attack started. He initially thought the person carrying a long gun was playing a prank until 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 said, 'I'm sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die.'' Hearing children plead for their lives, he crawled toward the school through a shattered window. Inside, he found a teacher locked in a struggle with the gunman. He opened the door and fired, shooting the attacker again when he reached for his weapon. Giamanco then surrendered his gun to an arriving officer.

The teacher who fought the shooter, whose name was not provided in the initial report but who was later identified in police statements as the one who threw her phone and tackled the gunman, played a key role in Giamanco's survival. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the teacher 'almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.' Giamanco credited her with giving him the chance to intervene without losing his own life, calling her a 'real true hero.'

Giamanco's identity became public less than a day after the shooting. His mother, Kenda Freeman, released a family statement requesting privacy and noting he was not seeking recognition. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised Giamanco while acknowledging the emotional weight of his actions. She stated, 'Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well.'

In the days since the shooting, Giamanco has struggled with sleep. He described lying awake after his family goes to bed, replaying the events in his mind. 'I relive, I see faces, I hear voices, I hear screams,' he said. The youngest victim, Rhoam Summer, was five. His father said the family is 'broken and lost.' Lambert's family described her as working her 'dream job' and noted she always fought for students with special needs. The other two boys have not been publicly named at their families' request.