President Trump on Friday called Kaylub Giamanco, the Bend, Oregon, father who stopped a gunman at his daughters' elementary school, "a great hero." "As bad as it was, we had a great hero that went in and did the business," Trump told reporters at the White House. "Thank God we had him, otherwise it would've been much worse. It's a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it."
Police say a 16-year-old, identified as Griffin J. John II of Bend, shot out the glass of locked doors at Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday afternoon and opened fire in a special needs classroom with a shotgun. Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert were killed. A 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher were wounded and remain hospitalized.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said Giamanco, 36, took a .40-caliber pistol that was legally locked in his car, followed the shooter inside and shot him multiple times. Officers arrived three minutes after the first 911 call and found the gunman dead. Krantz also praised a teacher who threw her cellphone at the shooter, tackled him and fought for his gun, saying she "almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed."
Giamanco, a carpenter with two daughters at the school, is not giving interviews. His family said he "is not seeking recognition" and is grateful to first responders, school staff and the community.
Photo: President Trump speaks to the press on the South Lawn of the White House, Sept. 26, 2025. Still from White House video (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
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