Oregon carpenter describes trauma after killing Silver Rail shooter

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter, has described the emotional toll of stopping a school shooter in Bend, Oregon. In an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, Giamanco expressed regret over the three students and one teacher killed at Silver Rail Elementary School earlier this month. He told the broadcaster that he wants to apologize to the victims' families for not saving their children.

"I want to apologise for not saving their babies," Giamanco said. He noted that while he receives gratitude for those he saved, he is haunted by the pupils he did not. The father of two said he hopes to meet the families of the dead to comfort them and hold them.

The attack occurred in a classroom where a 16-year-old former student, Griffin J John II, opened fire. Six people were shot in total. Three boys, aged five, eight, and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher, Megan Lambert, died. Another teacher and one child were wounded.

Giamanco was at the scene by chance. He had decided to return home to eat lunch with his wife instead of eating at his workplace. As he drove past the school, he saw John fire at a pickup truck and head toward the building. Giamanco retrieved a handgun from his car and called emergency services. He told the dispatcher he was sorry but had to enter the building because people were going to die.

Upon reaching the school, Giamanco heard children pleading for their lives. He crawled toward the building through a shattered window. Inside the classroom, he found a teacher locked in a physical struggle with the gunman. Giamanco credited that teacher with preventing his own death by holding the attacker at bay. He opened the door and fired six shots, killing John.

Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that the teacher who fought the gunman almost certainly prevented more bloodshed. The officer described how the teacher threw her phone at the shooter and tackled him to retrieve his shotgun. Giamanco said he felt like the last line of defense between the children and the attacker.

The youngest victim, Rhoam Summer, was five years old. His father described the family as broken and lost. Lambert, who was 25, was working in what her family called her dream job. They noted that she always fought for students with special needs. The injured teacher, Becky Drury, 54, said in a statement that the gunman shot her as she attempted to shut her classroom door.

Giamanco's name was made public less than a day after the shooting. His mother, Kenda Freeman, issued a statement asking for privacy and noting that her son was not seeking recognition. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised Giamanco's actions but acknowledged the heavy emotional burden they carry. Giamanco said he now lies awake at night, reliving the faces and screams from the attack.