Oregon father who stopped school shooter opens up about the weight of his choices

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter from Oregon, has shared the emotional toll of becoming the man who stopped a school shooting at his daughters' elementary school. In a recent interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, Giamanco discussed the complex feelings that follow saving lives while losing others. He expressed a desire to apologize to the families of the victims for not being able to save every child in the classroom.

The incident occurred earlier this month at Silver Rail Elementary School. A 16-year-old former student named Griffin J John II attacked the school. Three students and one teacher were killed, while two other individuals were injured. Giamanco was the only one who took down the attacker with a handgun, ending the violence before it could spread further.

The victims included three boys aged five, eight, and eleven. The youngest victim, Rhoam Summer, was five years old. His father described the family as broken and lost. The teacher who died was Megan Lambert, a 25-year-old educator who was working in a role her family called her dream job. Another teacher, Becky Drury, 54, was shot while trying to close her classroom door. Two other boys were injured but not publicly named at their families' request.

Giamanco’s presence at the school that morning was due to a series of small decisions. It was picture day, so he and his wife spent extra time preparing their daughters. He took his lunch to work but decided to return home to eat with his wife instead. This route brought him past the school just as the attack began. He noticed a man with a long gun, initially thinking it might be a prank, until he saw the attacker fire at a pickup truck and move toward the building.

Giamanco retrieved a handgun from his car and called emergency services. He told the dispatcher that people were going to die and that he had to go in. He crawled toward the school after hearing children plead for their lives. He told himself it was likely the last thing he would ever do. A teacher was already struggling with the gunman inside the classroom. Giamanco entered through a shattered window, opened the door, and fired. He shot the attacker again when the boy reached for his weapon. Giamanco credited that teacher with giving him the chance to survive, calling her a true hero.

Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that the teacher’s actions almost certainly prevented more bloodshed. She had thrown her phone at the attacker and tackled him to gain control of his shotgun. Giamanco placed his gun on the ground and raised his hands when an officer arrived. He described feeling like the last line of defense between the children and the gunman. He later called his wife to tell her he would not be home for lunch and that she needed to get to the school immediately.

Giamanco’s identity became public less than a day after the shooting. His mother, Kenda Freeman, read a statement asking for privacy and noting that he was not seeking recognition. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised his intervention while acknowledging the heavy emotional burden he now carries. Giamanco said he lies awake at night replaying the events. He sees faces, hears voices, and recalls the screams. He wants to meet the victims' families to cry with them and hold them, balancing the gratitude for the lives saved with the grief for those lost.