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By Joshua Rhett Miller, Hannah Parry, and Anna Commander
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The gunman who attacked an elementary school in Oregon on Thursday was fatally shot by the father of two students.
Kaylub Giamanco, 36, sprang into action Thursday upon witnessing a 16-year-old gunman enter Silver Rail Elementary School, his brother, Kyle Giamanco, told NBC News on Friday.
Kyle Giamanco said that his brother, a 36-year-old carpenter whose two daughters attend the school, told him that he had been driving home when he heard gunshots and saw a shooter entering the school. Kaylub, a carpenter, owns a concealed weapon "and decided to go in after” the gunman, his brother told NBC News.
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Kyle Giamanco described Kaylub as a hero but said his brother doesn't want to immediately discuss the shooting further, noting his guilt that he didn't save more people.
Giamanco’s mother, Kenda Freeman, also confirmed her son intervened during Thursday’s onslaught and shot the teen attacker.
"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 Friday in a statement read to reporters.
Giamanco and his family want privacy "during this difficult time," Freeman added.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, praised Giamanco on Friday while characterizing him as a "great hero... who took care of business."
"Thank God we had him; otherwise it would have been much worse," the president told reporters ahead of his Georgia rally. "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 (NRA) also called Giamanco a "hero" in a post to X on Friday, saying, "The tragedy in Oregon has shown us what happens when good men have the means and ability to act swiftly, as Kaylub Giamanco did. We thank this hero — an armed father who acted when seconds mattered most, saving countless innocent lives and striking evil down in its tracks."
Democratic Representative Janelle Bynum of Oregon said in a released statement to X on Thursday: "They're killing our babies. Shredding our kids with lead. Forcing us to live in fear. I feel this deep, deep, deep in my soul. Our whole community does. Our whole state does. And the whole nation should."
The shooting represented every parent's "worst fear," Bynum added.
Newsweek's attempts to reach Kaylub Giamanco for comment midday Friday were unsuccessful.
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Shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School
Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, along with a 25-year-old teacher, identified as Megan Lambert of Bend, and the gunman were killed in Thursday's shooting, Bend Police Department Chief Mike Krantz said. A 7-year-old student and 54-year-old teacher were also injured and taken to a hospital in critical condition.
The 7-year-old was shot in the face and is recovering following surgery late Thursday, Kyle Giamanco told NBC News.
The teen gunman, who used a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother, forced his way into the school by firing at locked doors, Krantz said.
During a Friday news conference, Krantz said that the bystander was driving by the school and witnessed an initial shooting incident involving the suspect and decided to grab his weapon and walk into the school. He saw a teacher involved in a struggle with the assailant and fired at him multiple times.
Krantz said the shooter fired 15 shots in total during the attack.
Sheila Miller, communications manager for Bend police, told reporters during a press briefing on Thursday that dispatchers received multiple 911 calls about an active shooter in the school at about 1 p.m. Multiple victims were found and two people were later transported to a local hospital, she said.
Bend police responded to the scene and learned the suspect had been shot and killed, possibly by a bystander, Miller said.
"We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy," Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said in a statement. "We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing. Our immediate priorities are caring for our students and staff and assisting law enforcement and emergency responders."
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Roughly 500 people gathered at a vigil in Drake Park late Thursday, including Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler, The Bulletin reported.
"Usually I would say it’s wonderful to see so many people from our community come together, but this is a day that every mayor dreads," Kebler told the crowd. "This is a dark day, an awful day. And a day that will impact so many of us so, so deeply...there are simply no words for the loss that we have suffered today."
Kotek had previously praised Giamanco's efforts for bravely pursuing the gunman into the school.
"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.
Teacher Tackled Suspect in Classroom
A teacher in the classroom threw her phone at the suspect, then tackled him, Krantz said during Friday's news conference. She then "fought" the teen suspect for the weapon, the chief added.
"She was not injured in that incident, but she almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed," Krantz said.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon, Sam Wilson, Gray R. Thomas
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