Who Is Kaylub Giamanco? Hero Dad Who Killed Oregon Shooter Was Returning Home During Lunch Break When He Heard Gunshots

The bystander who intervened to stop a teenage gunman’s deadly shooting at an Oregon elementary school has been identified as the dad of two daughters who attend the same institute, according to a report.

Kaylub Giamanco, a carpenter and father of two daughters who attend Silver Rail Elementary, was driving home during his lunch break on Thursday when he heard gunshots, his brother Kyle Giamanco told NBC News. Giamanco, 36, who has a concealed weapons permit, chased Griffin into the school’s special education room and fatally shot him, his brother said. Responding officers were informed of the man’s actions even before they entered the school where they found Griffin’s body.

Lucky to be There

Although authorities have credited Kaylub Giamanco with saving lives, he has chosen not to speak publicly because he does not see himself as a hero and is struggling with guilt over being unable to save more people, his brother said.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz confirmed that the shooting spree was stopped by “a community member who had seen the suspect enter the school and pursued him into the school and engaged him.”

Officers entered the building only afterward and confirmed that the gunman had been killed, Krantz said.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised the bystander for stepping in to prevent further deaths.

“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,” she said.

Authorities have not revealed what weapon the bystander used or whether he held a concealed carry permit.

Oregon lawmakers also commended Giamanco for his bravery. Oregon State Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson said she was “grateful to every first responder who stepped in with urgency to protect our community.”

“May the weight of God sit heavy with any soul who justifies this deed,” the Republican lawmaker said, branding the violence “senseless.”

Motive Remains Unclear

Griffin used his mother’s pump-action shotgun to attack Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend on Thursday, killing three children, including a five-year-old, and a teacher. The 16-year-old gunman critically wounded another student and a teacher.

The motive behind the shooting remains unclear as of now.

Griffin approached the school shortly before 1 p.m., where a driver in a Toyota Tacoma pickup confronted him in the parking lot. The gunman fired several rounds at the vehicle, shattering its rear window and leaving it riddled with bullet holes.

Griffin then shot at the locks on the school’s doors before forcing his way inside and opening fire on students and teachers.

Three children, aged five, eight and 11, were killed along with a teacher. A seven-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were also left critically injured and hospitalized.

Leah Schwartz, who lives near the school, said she heard three gunshots followed by another three. “They were spaced out, which made us question whether it was gunshots, or someone doing construction,” she told NBC.

Meanwhile, fifth-grade teacher Sheil Smith moved her students into a corner of the classroom as teachers feared for their lives during the attack. “I’m sure that every teacher at the school thought today is the day that I am going to die,” she said. “Save my kids.”