Carpenter describes weight of Oregon rescue

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter who fatally shot a 16-year-old attacker at Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon, said he feels profound anguish over the pupils he was unable to save. In an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting that aired on Friday, Giamanco addressed the parents of the three students and one teacher killed during the attack earlier this month. He stated his desire to meet the families and hold them as they grieve, acknowledging the pain of his own survival.

The emotional toll on Giamanco is compounded by the specific moments he witnessed inside the classroom. He recalled hearing children plead for their lives while the gunman, identified as former student Griffin J John II, continued firing. Giamanco described crawling through a shattered window to reach the classroom where a teacher was engaged in a physical struggle with the attacker. He opened the door and fired his handgun, shooting the gunman again when the boy reached for his weapon.

Giamanco credited that teacher with creating the opening that allowed him to intervene without being shot himself. He described her as a "real true hero" and said he would like to give her a hug. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz agreed, stating that the teacher, who threw her phone at the attacker and tackled him, "almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed." The teacher was identified as Becky Drury, 54. She was wounded in the attack but survived.

Six people were shot in the classroom in total. Three students, all boys aged five, eight, and 11, died. The youngest victim was Rhoam Summer. His father described the family as "broken and lost." The fourth fatality was Megan Lambert, a 25-year-old teacher whose family described the position as her "dream job." They noted that she consistently fought for students with special needs. The two other boys who died have not been publicly named at their families' request.

Giamanco explained that his presence at the school was determined by a routine morning routine. He and his wife had spent extra time preparing their daughters for school picture day. Giamanco had taken his lunch to work but decided to return home to eat with his wife, a decision that placed him near the school when the attack began. He initially thought a person carrying a long gun was playing a prank until he saw the individual fire at a pickup truck and move toward the building.

Before entering the school, 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. Giamanco described feeling like the "last line of defence" between the children and the gunman. After securing the scene, he placed his gun on the ground and raised his hands as a police officer appeared.

The gunman, Griffin J John II, had attended special education classes at Silver Rail Elementary. Police are still investigating his motive. Giamanco's name became public less than a day after the shooting. His mother, Kenda Freeman, released a statement asking for privacy and noting that he was not seeking recognition. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised his intervention, acknowledging that his actions carried a "heavy emotional burden."

Giamanco now struggles with sleep after his family goes to bed. He said he replays the events of the day, seeing faces and hearing screams. He described the gratitude for saving some children as awesome but emphasized that there were others he did not save. He told OPB, "I want to apologise for not saving their babies."