Carpenter stops school shooter at Bend elementary, shuns public praise

Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter and father of two students at Silver Rail Elementary, heard gunshots while driving home for lunch in Bend, Oregon. He followed the shooter, identified as 16-year-old John J. Griffin, into the school’s special-education room and, according to police, shot him dead, halting further casualties. The attack had already claimed the lives of three children aged 5, 8 and 11 and a 54-year-old teacher, while leaving a 7-year-old student and the teacher critically injured.

Governor Tina Kotek publicly thanked Giamanco for his bravery, noting the heavy emotional burden he bears. Despite widespread acclaim, Giamanco’s family says he seeks no recognition, wanting only to express gratitude to responders and the community. His brother Kyle Giamanco said the hero feels guilty for not saving more, while their mother Kenda Freeman described her son as “absolutely a hero.”