A quiet Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, erupted into horror when a 16-year-old former student opened fire inside a special education needs classroom, leaving four people dead and two others injured. In the chaotic moments that followed, quick thinking and extraordinary bravery from a classroom teacher and a passing father prevented the attack from becoming an even deadlier mass casualty event, law enforcement officials confirmed at a Friday press briefing.
The unidentified teacher, who was in the targeted classroom when the shooting began, made the split-second decision to confront the gunman. Before launching herself at him, she threw her mobile phone to alert others to the danger, then grappled with the teen to wrest control of his shotgun away as the pair tumbled to the classroom floor. During their struggle, an off-site bystander, 36-year-old local carpenter Kaylub Giamanco, drove past the school and witnessed the suspect opening fire in the parking lot before shooting through a window to gain entry to the building.
Giamanco, a father of two daughters who attend Silver Rail Elementary, kept a legally concealed .40-caliber pistol in his vehicle. The carpenter, who had just finished lunch and was heading home when he encountered the unfolding violence, grabbed his weapon and rushed inside to intervene. He opened fire on the suspect, striking him multiple times and killing the teen before he could continue his attack. When police searched the suspect after he was stopped, they recovered an additional 44 rounds of shotgun ammunition, confirming he had fired roughly 15 shots inside the classroom already.
Four people lost their lives in the attack before the suspect was neutralized: three children and one teacher. Police have publicly named two of the victims: 5-year-old student Rhoam Summer and 25-year-old teacher Meghan Lambert. The families of the two other deceased children, aged 8 and 11, have requested that their identities remain private at this time. Two additional people were wounded: a 54-year-old teacher remained hospitalized for treatment as of Friday, while a 7-year-old student was listed in serious but stable condition.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz commended the two heroes who stepped in to stop the attack during Friday’s press briefing. “To the people who showed courage in the face of such violence, and intervened to prevent this tragedy from being any worse, we owe you a debt of gratitude,” Krantz said. He confirmed that the teacher who confronted the gunman walked away from the encounter unharmed, and that her quick action “almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.”
Police identified the shooter as Griffin J. John II, a former Silver Rail Elementary student who himself received special education services at the school during his time enrolled. Law enforcement has already executed a search warrant at the suspect’s residence, and investigations are ongoing to map out the 16-year-old’s movements before the attack, determine how he obtained the shotgun and ammunition, and uncover a potential motive for the violence. Authorities have confirmed the suspect traveled to the school on foot, but no other details about his planning have been released to the public.
Though law enforcement has not publicly named Giamanco out of respect for his privacy, his family confirmed his identity to U.S. media outlets. In a statement released through CBS News, the family said Giamanco is a lifelong resident of Bend who does not seek public recognition for his actions. “He wants to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel, and community for the outpouring of love and support,” the statement read, adding that Giamanco and his family “respectfully ask for privacy” to process what happened.
Political leaders have weighed in on the attack, with both state and federal officials praising the intervention that stopped further bloodshed. Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for Georgia on Friday, former U.S. President Donald Trump called Giamanco a “great hero,” noting that the attack would have had a far higher death toll without his intervention. “It’s a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it,” Trump said. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek also acknowledged the bystander’s heroic actions, while noting that stopping the attack will “carry a heavy emotional burden.” “I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,” she said.
In the wake of the tragedy, local community members have organized a candlelit vigil to honor the victims and support their families, as Bend comes to terms with one of the deadliest school shootings in recent Oregon history.