The Oregon father praised for stopping a school shooting reportedly struggled afterward with the children he could not save, telling his mother he wished he had been able to do more.
Kenda Freeman said her 36-year-old son, Kaylub Giamanco, called her moments after confronting Griffin John II inside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend on Thursday. Giamanco, a father of two, had shot the 16-year-old attacker during the violence.
Freeman told CBS Sacramento that her son began the call by saying, “Mom, I just shot and killed somebody.” She asked him to explain what had happened.
Giamanco reportedly told her that a gunman had entered his daughter’s school and opened fire on children. He said he came face to face with the shooter and fired, killing him.
Residents in Bend have credited Giamanco with intervening during the attack and potentially preventing an even greater loss of life at the elementary school.
Freeman said she reassured her son that he had acted to protect the children, adding that she was proud of him and believed his actions had saved many lives.
But Giamanco responded with anguish, telling her, “Mom, I couldn’t save them all.”
Before Giamanco confronted him, John killed three students, including five-year-old Rhoam Summer, as well as 25-year-old teacher Meghan Lambert. Seven-year-old Saylor Graham and educational assistant Becky Drury were also wounded.
Kaylub Giamanco, 36, shot and killed Griffin John II as the gunman fired at children inside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday
Giamanco’s mother, Kenda Freeman, said he phoned her immediately after the shooting and told her he had killed the attacker. She has described her son as a hero
Freeman said the incident has deeply affected Giamanco. He reportedly lies awake replaying the attack and wondering whether he could have acted differently or reached more children in time.
Giamanco first noticed John while driving home during his lunch break. Seeing the gunman near the school, he realized that something was seriously wrong.
He then crawled through a window the shooter had blown out to enter the school attended by his daughters.
Police said John fired 15 rounds during the attack before Giamanco stopped him. The gunman had focused on a special-needs classroom where he had once been a student.
The weapon had reportedly been purchased by John’s mother around his 16th birthday in August. Investigators said they had not determined how he obtained the ammunition, describing the case as an active investigation.
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Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shooting.
Giamanco, meanwhile, is licensed to carry a concealed firearm.
A carpenter and father of two girls, ages five and 10, Giamanco has both children enrolled at Silver Rail Elementary, his brother told NBC News.
Freeman recalled her son telling her he had looked at the gunman “point-blank” before shooting him. Giamanco’s two daughters attend the school
Giamanco has been left traumatized by the attack and is struggling with the belief that he could not protect every child, according to his mother
Griffin John II, 16, killed three students and one teacher on Thursday
Three students – ages five, eight and 11 – and one teacher were killed by the former student. The five-year-old was identified by his father as Rhoam Summer. The teacher was Meghan Lambert, 25. Saylor Graham, seven, was shot in the face, but lived
President Donald Trump praised Giamanco for stopping the Oregon school shooting.
‘Well, I’ll tell you what, there was a great hero. It could have been worse, as bad as it was. We had a great hero that went in and did the business,’ Trump told reporters outside of the White House on Friday.
‘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.’
During a press conference on Thursday, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek called Giamanco a hero.
‘To the community member who heroically intervened to stop further loss of life: Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well,’ Kotek said.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Giamanco to help pay for therapy, any legal expenses he may face, and to support him while he takes time off work following the tragedy. The fundraiser has garnered nearly $280,000 by Saturday afternoon.
‘Kaylub, his wife Kelsey, and their two young daughters have an incredibly difficult road ahead of them,’ the fundraiser stated.
‘The emotional and psychological impact of this tragedy cannot be overstated, and they deserve the time, space and resources to begin healing together.’
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