Police in Bend, Oregon have identified the gunman who killed four people at a school as a former special needs student, while praising those who intervened to prevent further bloodshed.
Three children, aged 5, 8, and 11, were killed in the Thursday attack, along with a 25-year-old female teacher, before a father shot the 16-year-old gunman dead.
A young child and a teacher were also wounded in the attack, which took place inside the school’s special needs classroom using a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun.
A man in a vehicle outside the school was the first to alert authorities after the teenage gunman opened fire at him and missed, prompting an emergency response.
Before police arrived, a female teacher tackled the armed student directly, engaging him in a physical struggle that would prove critical in slowing the attack.
A 36-year-old father of two girls at the school, identified by family as Kaylub Giamanco, then rushed into the building with his legally held firearm and shot the gunman dead.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz described the scene, saying Giamanco “heard shooting and saw a teacher involved in a physical altercation with the suspect… and fired his weapon, striking the suspect multiple times.”
Chief Krantz offered a direct tribute to both individuals, stating, “When someone is willing to risk their own life for others, we recognize that. The teacher who is willing to stand and fight for her children… incredible. That is true heroism, and we don’t see that a lot in society.”
Giamanco’s mother told the local Fox News affiliate that she was “very proud” of her son and called him “an absolute hero” for his actions during the attack.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the incident, telling reporters, “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 praised the armed bystander’s intervention, posting on X that “yesterday’s terrible act of violence in Oregon serves as another reminder of the importance of a law-abiding armed citizenry.”
Gun control advocates pushed back sharply, with advocacy group GIFFORDS stating, “America’s gun violence crisis is killing our babies. Enough is enough.”
According to Education Week, there have been 26 shootings at U.S. schools so far this year that have resulted in injuries or deaths.
The Gun Violence Archive has recorded more than 360 mass shootings across the country this year, defining the category as incidents in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.
