Oregon father recounts trauma after shooting

Kaylub Giamanco fired six shots at a 16-year-old former student to stop him from killing more children at Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon. The carpenter, 36, is the father of two girls who attend the school. He spoke Friday in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting about the weight of the moment and the grief that follows.

Giamanco said he wants to apologize to the parents of the three boys who were killed. He told the broadcaster, 'I want to apologise for not saving their babies.' He added that while he feels gratitude for the students he saved, he is haunted by the ones he could not reach. He hopes to meet the victims' families to hold them and cry with them.

The attacker, Griffin J John II, had attended special education classes at the school. He killed three boys, ages five, eight, and 11, and teacher Megan Lambert, 25. Another teacher, Becky Drury, 54, and one student were wounded. Police said six people in total were shot in the classroom. The motive is still under investigation.

Giamanco was not supposed to be at the school that morning. It was picture day, so he and his wife spent extra time getting their daughters ready. He took lunch to work but decided to return home to eat with his wife instead. As he drove past the school, he saw the shooter fire at a pickup truck and head toward the building.

He initially thought the man with the long gun was playing a prank. After seeing the shots fired, Giamanco grabbed a handgun from his car and called emergency services. He told the dispatcher, 'I'm sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die.' He followed the attacker, who shot through the school's locked glass doors.

Hearing children plead for their lives, Giamanco crawled toward the building. He told himself it might be the last thing he ever did. He entered through a shattered window to find a teacher struggling with the gunman. The teacher, who threw her phone at the attacker and tackled him, created the opening that allowed Giamanco to intervene.

Giamanco opened the door and fired. He shot again when the attacker reached for his weapon. He then put his gun on the ground and raised his hands as an officer arrived. He described feeling like the last line of defense. Afterward, he called his wife to tell her to come to the school immediately.

Police Chief Mike Krantz of Bend said the teacher who fought the shooter 'almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.' The youngest victim, Rhoam Summer, was five. His father said the family is 'broken and lost.' Lambert's family described her as fighting for the underdog and those with special needs.

Giamanco’s name became public less than a day after the shooting. His mother, Kenda Freeman, released a statement asking for privacy. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek acknowledged the heavy emotional burden his actions carry. Giamanco said he now lies awake at night, replaying the faces, voices, and screams of the attack.