When a 16‑year‑old gunman forced his way into Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, a local carpenter and military veteran stepped forward to protect the children inside. Kaylub Giamanco, a 36‑year‑old father of two, says he heard the shooter’s gunfire while driving past the school and felt compelled to act.
From a routine day to a life‑or‑death decision
Giamanco was on his way home for lunch after dropping his daughters off at the school. He saw a man in black holding a long gun near the school grounds and, at first, thought it might be a prank. The shooter then fired twice at a pickup truck and once at a woman mowing the lawn before hopping the fence and heading toward the building.
“Panic flooded my brain,” Giamanco recalled in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting. He reached for a handgun that had been sitting in his truck’s console, called 911, and told the dispatcher, “I’m sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die.”
Confronting the shooter
Giamanco entered the school, crawling quickly through the hallway as children screamed for help. He found the shooter in a classroom where a teacher was struggling with the gunman. Giamanco fired, striking the shooter twice and then twice more to ensure the attacker could not fire again. The teacher and shooter fell to the floor; the teacher escaped the room unharmed.
In the aftermath, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz praised Giamanco’s bravery, saying the community “cannot underestimate or under‑appreciate that courage.” President Donald Trump also weighed in, calling Giamanco “a great hero that went in and did the business.”
Humility amid praise
Despite the accolades, Giamanco does not see himself as a hero. He expressed deep sorrow for the families of the three students and a teacher who lost their lives, saying, “I want to apologize for not saving their babies. The gratitude for saving people’s children is awesome, but there were ones that I didn’t save.”
Giamanco’s actions have sparked a conversation in Bend about the role of ordinary citizens in protecting schools and the importance of community vigilance. Local faith leaders have offered prayers for the victims and praised the courage shown by both the teacher and Giamanco.
Looking forward
The tragedy has prompted school officials to review security protocols, including the possibility of additional training for staff and volunteers willing to intervene in emergencies. While the community mourns the loss of four innocent lives, many residents feel a renewed sense of unity and gratitude for those who stepped up when it mattered most.
Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.
