Bend, Oregon is grieving. On Thursday, a 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School. Out of that loss, the community is also hearing about two people whose courage police say kept it from being even worse.
The Dad Who Ran Toward It
The bystander who stopped the attack has been identified as Kaylub Giamanco, 36. CBS News reports he is a lifelong Bend resident with two daughters at the school. Police said Giamanco pursued the shooter and fatally shot him, ending the attack.
His mother, Kenda Freeman, told CBS News Sacramento that her son "knew something was not right, so he pulled up onto the grass, grabbed his gun and basically stalked the gunman back into the school." She said he went in through a window the gunman had shot out, and that he "army-crawled through the window."
Freeman said she told him he was a hero who had saved a lot of lives. She said he answered, "Mom, I couldn't save them all."
Giamanco isn't looking for the spotlight. In a statement released Friday, his family said he "is not seeking recognition, but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel, and community for the outpouring of love and support." The family asked for privacy and said they won't be giving interviews.
A Teacher Who Fought Back
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz also wanted people to know about someone else. Inside a classroom, he said, a teacher threw her cellphone at the gunman, tackled him and fought to take his gun.
"She was not injured in that incident, but she almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed," Krantz said at a Friday news conference.
The Lives Lost
Police said officers arrived minutes later and found four victims inside the school: three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher. Two others, a student and a teacher, were hospitalized with critical injuries. Police said the gunman was from Bend and had previously attended the school. Law enforcement sources told CBS News he used a shotgun purchased by his mother.
Families have been leaving flowers and balloons outside the school.
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Leaders React
President Trump called Giamanco a "great hero" who "took care of business," adding, "Thank God we had him; otherwise, it would have been much worse." Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised the bystander who "heroically intervened to stop further loss of life." She also noted that what he did carries "a heavy emotional burden."
Our Take
There's no happy ending here. Four families lost someone they love, and a whole school community will carry this day with them. The debates will come, and they should. But for now, what stands out is a dad who ran toward the danger, a teacher who fought back with her bare hands, and a town that's holding each other up. Our hearts are with Bend.
Photo: Roc0ast3r / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
