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A licensed concealed carrier and father of two students is being credited with stopping a deadly attack at an Oregon elementary school.
According to Bend Police, a 16-year-old gunman entered Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday and killed three children and a teacher. The victims were ages 5, 8 and 11, along with an adult educator.
A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were also critically injured.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is now praising the armed citizen who pursued the attacker into the school and fatally shot him.
“Once again, an armed citizen with a concealed carry license has intervened in a tragic incident,” CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said.
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Armed Father Ran Toward the Danger
Police initially described the person who stopped the attack only as a “community member.”
His family identified him Friday as Kaylub Giamanco, a lifelong Bend resident and father of two girls who attend Silver Rail Elementary, according to the Associated Press.
Giamanco’s brother told NBC News that he holds a concealed-weapon permit and decided to enter the school after seeing the attacker go inside.
Giamanco’s mother, Kenda Freeman, said her son does not want recognition. The family asked for privacy as he processes the attack and its aftermath.
The shooting began shortly before 1 p.m. on October 15.
Bend Police received the first call at 12:59 p.m. from someone in a vehicle reporting that a person with a long gun had fired at them. Dispatchers then received multiple calls saying the attacker had entered the school and begun shooting.
Police said the gunman forced his way through locked doors by shooting them.
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The school entered lockdown at 1:01 p.m. Officers arrived one minute later. Moments afterward, police learned that an armed community member had followed the attacker inside and engaged him.
“Our officers entered the building and confirmed the suspect was dead,” Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said during the city’s Thursday evening press conference.
The entire attack unfolded within a matter of minutes, according to reporting from Oregon Public Broadcasting.
CCRKBA Says His Actions Saved Lives
Gottlieb said there is no overlooking the horrific loss of three children and a teacher. However, he argued that the armed father’s intervention prevented the attacker from taking even more lives.
“We are heartbroken that three children and a teacher died in this horrendous event,” Gottlieb said, “but we are gratified that a local resident had the tool, and the courage, to take quick action.”
CCRKBA also praised the rapid response from Bend Police and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.
Krantz said the first officers reached the school approximately three minutes after the initial emergency call. Bend officers had also completed a full day of active-shooter training in August, according to Reuters.
Even with that response, the armed parent was already confronting the killer as officers entered the scene.
“When the need arose, an armed citizen was fortunately there to immediately respond,” Gottlieb said.
Oregon Governor Praises the Intervention
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek also publicly thanked Giamanco during the initial press conference.
“To the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life, your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and my thoughts are with you,” Kotek said in an official statement.
The governor also praised the school’s staff, parents and first responders.
Police have not publicly announced a motive or confirmed whether the teenage attacker had any connection to Silver Rail Elementary. The investigation remains active, with federal and state agencies assisting Bend Police.
For CCRKBA, the case provides another example of how quickly an armed citizen can become the immediate responder during a life-threatening emergency.
There is no happy ending to an attack that took four innocent lives. However, police, state officials and 2A advocates agree that Giamanco’s decision to run toward the gunfire prevented an already devastating day from becoming even worse.
Self-defense doesn’t end when the threat goes down. That’s when the real battle begins. Lawyers. Prosecutors. Headlines. USCCA Members never fight that battle alone. Find out how.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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I say good job!!!
shame the gun haters will come out of the woodwork with what ifs and no gun zones because they would rather see a bigger body count to push their agenda………and if he used a glock he will be extra screwed.