A father who was driving home for lunch followed a 16-year-old gunman into an Oregon primary school and shot him after four people were killed, his family said.
Kaylub Giamanco, 36, heard gunfire while passing Silver Rail Elementary in Bend on Thursday. His brother, Kyle, said he then entered the school and confronted John J Griffin, who had opened fire in a special education classroom.
Three children, aged five, eight and 11, and a teacher died in the attack, police said. A seven-year-old child was also injured and is recovering from surgery.
Griffin, who had previously attended Silver Rail Elementary, was killed after Giamanco intervened, authorities said. Police said the teenager had used a pump-action shotgun which was purchased by his mother.
Giamanco is a carpenter and the father of two girls who attend the school. His brother said he owns a concealed weapon and followed Griffin into the special education room.
Despite being praised for stopping the attack, Giamanco does not regard himself as a hero, according to Kyle. He is haunted by what he saw inside the classroom and feels guilty that he was unable to save more people, his brother said.
The Giamanco family is friends with the injured seven-year-old, who uses a wheelchair and was shot in the face. The child’s condition was not detailed beyond the report that they were recovering from surgery.
Oregon school shooting prompts mourning in Bend
Flowers and candles were placed outside Silver Rail Elementary on Friday as members of the Bend community gathered to mourn the victims.
Rhoam Summer, five, was identified by his father, Kelik Summer, as one of the children killed in the shooting. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek ordered flags at public institutions to be flown at half-staff in remembrance of the four victims.
Steven Cook, superintendent of Bend–La Pine Schools, said: “We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy.”
He added: “We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing.”
Parents were directed to a reunification centre after police evacuated the classrooms. Linda McMahon, the US Secretary of Education, said she was praying for the students, staff, families and the wider community.
President Donald Trump praised Giamanco’s intervention while speaking to reporters outside the White House on Friday.
“Well, I’ll tell you what, there was a great hero. As bad as it was, we had a great hero that went in and did the business,” Mr Trump said.
“He took care of business, and thank god we had him. Otherwise, it would have been much worse. It’s a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it.”
The National Rifle Association also praised Giamanco, saying the attack demonstrated the importance of an armed member of the community intervening to stop a shooting.
Griffin’s mother, Shauntai May Nickerson, had previously spoken about her son’s special educational needs. In a 2020 interview, she said he had struggled with learning from home during the Covid-19 restrictions and that she was looking forward to him receiving support from skilled teachers in the classroom.
When approached outside her apartment on Friday, Nickerson said: “I’m sorry.” She also said: “I miss him,” and described Griffin as “a good boy; he really was”.
“If I could have prevented this, I would have,” she added.
Police have searched Griffin’s home and said his parents co-operated with investigators. They told officers that he had previously attended Silver Rail Elementary.
