Oregon school shooting hero was student’s father who shot dead teen gunman after deadly rampage
BEND, OREGON: A father of two who confronted a teenage gunman inside an Oregon elementary school on Thursday, October 15 is struggling to come to terms with the deadly attack, despite being credited with stopping the shooter.
The hero, Kaylub Giamanco, followed the armed teenager into Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend and fatally shot him before police arrived at the scene, his brother has said.
The intervention came after an attack that killed three children and a teacher.
🚨ARMED HERO: Kaylub Giamanco Stopped the Bend, Oregon Elementary School Shooter The armed civilian who pursued and neutralized the shooter at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, has been identified as 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, according to his brother in comments to NBC News. Giamanco, a local carpenter and father of two girls who attend the school, was driving home on his lunch break when he heard gunshots and saw the gunman force entry into the building. Carrying a concealed weapon, he immediately followed the attacker inside and stopped him before police arrived on the scene. This private citizen put his own life on the line to protect other people’s children. His actions are credited with preventing further loss of life in a horrific attack that still claimed the lives of three young students and a teacher. A man who acted with such courage and decisiveness deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
— Eric Deters (@bulllaw) October 16, 2026
Hero dad struggling to accept reality
Speaking to NBC News, Kyle Giamanco described how the shooting has affected his 36-year-old brother, a carpenter who has found it difficult to move past what happened inside the school.
Despite being praised for confronting the teenage gunman, Giamanco has struggled with the belief that he could have done more to help the children, his brother said.
The experience has weighed so heavily on him that he has not felt ready to discuss it publicly.
Giamanco is a father of two girls enrolled at Silver Rail Elementary, but he was not on campus to pick them up when the attack unfolded.
He was driving home during his lunch break when the sound of gunfire alerted him to the unfolding danger, according to Kyle.
Giamanco, who has a concealed-carry permit, then saw the gunman enter the school and chose to follow him.
His pursuit led him to a special education room, where he confronted the 16-year-old, Kyle said.
Although the confrontation brought the shooting to an end, the aftermath has left Giamanco thinking about the young victims who did not survive and those who were injured, his brother reportedly said.
President Trump, on Friday, lauded Giamanco's actions and called him a ''great hero who went in and did the business''.
.@POTUS on the Oregon school shooting: "As bad as it was, we had a great hero that went in and did the business... Thank God we had him, otherwise it would've been much worse. It's a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it." https://t.co/NcS57UCiTd
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 16, 2026
Teen suspect identified
Law enforcement officials identified the shooter as 16-year-old John J. Griffin.
According to two officials, the shotgun allegedly used in the attack was purchased by his mother around the time of his birthday in August.
Before entering the school, Griffin reportedly opened fire on a vehicle parked outside. Police received the first emergency call at 12:59 p.m. local time and reached the scene three minutes later, at 1:02 p.m.
Officers soon learned that the teenager had been shot and killed.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including Griffin's background and what may have motivated the attack.
His parents are cooperating with investigators.
Electronic devices were also reportedly seized from the family home as officials work to establish further details about the incident.
