Bend police: armed father used pistol "legally secured in his vehicle" to stop school gunman

A father whose children attend Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, took a .40-caliber pistol that was "legally secured in his vehicle," followed a teenage gunman into the school and shot him, Bend police said at a news conference Friday, Oct. 16.

The attack on Thursday, Oct. 15, killed three children and a teacher, Megan Lambert, 25, of Bend. A 7-year-old girl was in serious but stable condition, and a 54-year-old teacher, Becky Drury of Bend, had serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Police released the victims' names only where families agreed.

The shooter, a 16-year-old boy who once attended the school, was killed by the bystander, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported, citing Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz. GROKsiNEWS.com is not naming him because he was a minor. The two other children killed were boys ages 8 and 11; their families asked that they not be named, OPB reported.

How it unfolded, according to police

Around 12:58 p.m. local time (3:58 p.m. ET), the teen threw a weapon over the school's rear fence and climbed onto the grounds, police said. A driver in a red pickup confronted him, and the teen fired at the truck, hitting it at least three times. That driver called 911.

A second driver, a 36-year-old man whose children attend the school, saw the shooting and pulled into the school parking lot, police said.

The teen shot through glass panes in an external set of double doors and went into the classroom just inside, firing as many as 15 rounds in all, police said. All the victims were shot in that classroom.

The father took out his pistol and went in through the forced-open doors. "He saw a teacher involved in a physical altercation with the suspect and fired his weapon, striking the suspect multiple times," police said.

That teacher had thrown her cell phone at the gunman, then tackled him and fought to take his gun, police said. She was not injured.

The weapons

Officers found a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun near the teen, along with a backpack, police said. He used birdshot, buckshot and slugs and had about 44 rounds left on him or in the backpack.

"How the suspect obtained the weapon and ammunition remains part of the active criminal investigation," police said. Police have not announced any charges related to how he got the gun.

The bystander

Police did not name the father. The Associated Press identified him as Kaylub Giamanco, 36, and his mother, Kenda Freeman, confirmed his role, AP and OPB reported. His brother, Kyle Giamanco, told NBC News that he is a carpenter whose two young daughters attend the school and that he has a concealed-weapon permit. His mother also said he has two daughters, according to AP.

Officials and families have called his actions heroic. "He is not seeking recognition, but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel and community for the outpouring of love and support," Freeman said, reading a prepared statement, OPB reported. Lambert's family said in a statement read by police: "We want the bystander who intervened to know we know he is going through a rough time, but we are grateful and we think he is a hero".

Why it matters

The AP describes cases in which an armed civilian stops a mass shooter as rare. Investigators have not said how a 16-year-old obtained the shotgun, a question that bears directly on the debate over gun storage and access.

The FBI has set up a tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI and fbi.gov/silverrailschool.