Teacher Tackled Oregon School Gunman Before Father Intervened

Police Describe Two Interventions Inside the Classroom

A teacher tackled the gunman at Silver Rail Elementary School before a student’s father entered the classroom and fatally shot him, Bend police said. Three children and another teacher were killed in the October 15 attack in Bend, Oregon.

At an October 16 briefing, Police Chief Mike Krantz credited the unnamed teacher and the 36-year-old parent with actions that helped prevent further casualties. Police said the intervening teacher was uninjured; she was a different person from the teacher killed and the teacher hospitalized.

The parent was identified by his family as Kaylub Giamanco, whose two daughters attend the school. His family said he was a lifelong Bend resident with a concealed-carry permit and asked for privacy while he dealt with the aftermath.

Police identified the suspected gunman as a 16-year-old former student who died at the scene. The motive and how he obtained access to the weapon remained under investigation in the department’s October 16 account.

A Driver Made the First Emergency Call

The first reported confrontation happened outside the school shortly before 1 p.m. A pickup driver saw the suspect approaching school property and confronted him, according to police.

The suspect fired at the vehicle, and the driver continued away and called 911 at 12:59 p.m. Another driver, later identified as Giamanco, witnessed that encounter and drove into the school parking lot.

Dispatchers received multiple calls that someone had entered the school and was shooting. A law-enforcement alert went out at 1 p.m., the school was directed to lock down at 1:01 p.m., and the first officers arrived at 1:02 p.m., police said.

The gunman had forced entry through locked exterior doors and entered a classroom. All of the victims were found in that room, according to the police account.

A Teacher Fought to Stop the Gunman

Inside the classroom, a teacher threw her phone at the suspect, tackled him and tried to take the firearm away. Krantz described that intervention at the following day’s briefing and did not publicly identify her.

Giamanco entered through the damaged doors and saw the struggle, police said. He then shot the suspect, who died in the classroom.

Giamanco’s family said he regretted that he had not been able to save more people. They said he was not seeking recognition and was grateful to first responders, school staff and others who supported those affected.

The family of Megan Lambert, the 25-year-old teacher killed, also thanked the parent who intervened. Their statement described Lambert’s commitment to children and her desire to teach in the community where she grew up.

Families Receive Updates on Victims and Recovery

Lambert grew up in Bend, coached volleyball and graduated from Boise State University in 2023, according to her family’s statement. Silver Rail was her first teaching position after work as a substitute, and relatives described it as her dream job.

The three children killed were boys. Authorities released one child’s name at his family’s request and withheld the other two names after their families asked for privacy.

A 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher, Becky Drury, were hospitalized. In the October 16 update, police described the child’s condition as serious but stable and Drury’s injuries as serious but not life-threatening. Drury’s husband said the family was focused on her recovery.

School staff transported surviving students and staff to a church for reunification with families. The district canceled classes, activities and athletic events on October 16, and community members gathered for a vigil at Drake Park.

Investigators asked residents for video showing the suspect’s route to the school. The department said it expected to retain the scene until at least October 20, while FBI victim-services personnel worked with the district on arrangements for retrieving belongings from unaffected parts of the building.

References: UPDATE: Active Shooter Incident At Silver Rail Elementary School | Bend, Oregon, school shooting: Suspect ID’d, previously attended elementary school, police say | Oregon school shooting: Father of 2 students identified as bystander who took down suspected gunman | What we know about the victims in the Bend, Oregon, elementary school shooting