Kaylub Giamanco recounts six-shot firefight that ended Oregon school attack

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter, fatally shot the attacker at his daughters' school in Oregon, ending a deadly rampage that left three students and a teacher dead. In an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting aired on Friday, Giamanco detailed the moments leading up to the confrontation and the aftermath that has left him struggling with sleep and survivor's guilt.

Giamanco said he wants to apologize to the parents of the children who died. "I want to apologise for not saving their babies," he told the broadcaster. He acknowledged the gratitude from those saved but emphasized that he did not save everyone. He expressed a desire to meet the victims' families to cry and hold them, and he credited a teacher who fought the gunman with allowing him to intervene without losing his own life.

The attack occurred earlier this month at Silver Rail Elementary School. Police identified the gunman as Griffin J John II, a 16-year-old former student who attended special education classes there. The motive is still under investigation. Three boys, aged five, eight, and 11, were killed. A teacher, Megan Lambert, 25, also died. Two others, a teacher and another child, were wounded.

Giamanco described the morning as a routine day of breakfast and packed lunches. It was school picture day, so he and his wife spent extra time preparing their daughters. He had taken lunch to work but decided to go home to eat with his wife. That detour brought him past the school as the attack began. He initially thought a person carrying a long gun was playing a prank until he saw the man fire at a pickup truck and move toward the school building.

Giamanco retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and called emergency services. He told the dispatcher, "I'm sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die." He followed the attacker, who shot through the school's locked glass doors. Hearing children plead for their lives, Giamanco crawled toward the building. He told himself it was probably the last thing he would ever do. He crawled through a shattered window and reached the classroom where a teacher was locked in a struggle with the gunman.

Giamanco opened the door and fired. He shot again when the attacker reached for his weapon. He then placed his gun on the ground and raised his hands when an officer appeared. He described feeling like the last line of defense between the children and the shooter. Afterward, he called his wife to tell her to come to the school immediately, then called his mother to explain what had happened.

Police said the teacher who confronted the attacker, Becky Drury, 54, threw her phone at the gunman and tackled him. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz stated she almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed. Drury said in a statement that the gunman shot her as she tried to shut her classroom door. The youngest victim was Rhoam Summer, aged five. His father said the family was broken and lost. Lambert's family described her as working her dream job and fighting for underdogs and those with special needs.

Giamanco's name became public less than a day after the shooting. His mother, Kenda Freeman, read a family statement asking for privacy and noting he was not seeking recognition. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised his intervention while acknowledging the emotional cost. "Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well," she said. Giamanco told OPB he now lies awake after his family goes to bed, replaying the attack. He said he sees faces, hears voices, and hears screams.

The other two boys killed have not been publicly named at their families' request. Giamanco continues to process the event, describing the experience as a heavy weight he must carry.