Kaylub Giamanco has been identified as the Bend, Oregon, father who followed a 16-year-old gunman into Silver Rail Elementary School and shot him, ending an attack that killed three children and a teacher on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
Giamanco, 36, is a carpenter and a lifelong Bend resident whose two daughters attend the school, his family said in a statement Friday. A GoFundMe fundraiser set up by a close friend to support Giamanco, his wife, Kelsey, and their daughters, ages 5 and 10, had raised more than $41,000 by Friday afternoon.
“When the unthinkable happened at their school, Kaylub took action,” organizer Amy Reynolds wrote on the GoFundMe page. “He followed the gunman into the building and stopped him, putting his own life at risk in the process.”
Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher were killed in the shooting, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were taken to a hospital in critical condition. The gunman, who police have not publicly identified, also died.
Police have not released the names of the victims or the shooter. Three senior law enforcement officials told NBC News the gunman was John J. Griffin, a 16-year-old from Bend. Investigators have not said whether he had any connection to the school, and a motive has not been released.
Kaylub Giamanco Was Driving Home for Lunch When He Heard Gunshots & Followed the Gunman Into the School, His Brother Says
Giamanco was driving home for his lunch break when he heard gunshots and saw the gunman going into the school, his brother, Kyle Giamanco, told NBC News.
Kaylub Giamanco has a concealed-weapon permit and “decided to go in after” the shooter, his brother said. Kyle Giamanco and several parents told NBC News that the shooting happened in a special education classroom.
The account lines up with what police have described. The first 911 call came at 12:59 p.m. from a driver who said a person with a long gun had shot at him multiple times near the school, Krantz said at a news conference Thursday night. Within a minute, Deschutes County dispatchers were taking multiple calls reporting a shooter inside the building.
The school was ordered into lockdown at 1:01 p.m., and officers arrived at 1:02 p.m., Krantz said. An officer then reported that the suspect had been shot by a community member who saw the teen entering the school, pursued him and engaged him.
The gunman “forced” his way inside by shooting at locked doors, Krantz said. Police have said only that the shooter was a 16-year-old Bend resident. Law enforcement sources told NBC News and CBS News that he used a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother.
Kaylub Giamanco Is a Carpenter, Husband & Father of 2 Who Has Lived in Bend Since Middle School, According to the GoFundMe
Reynolds, who describes Giamanco as “a very dear friend,” wrote on the fundraising page that he has called Bend home since middle school and chose to raise his own family there.
“He grew up here, built his life here and chose to raise his own family in the same community that raised him,” she wrote. “Both of his daughters attend Silver Rail Elementary.”
Giamanco works as a carpenter, his brother told NBC News. He and his wife, Kelsey, have two daughters, ages 5 and 10, according to the GoFundMe.
Reynolds wrote that people are calling Giamanco a hero, but that those who know him believe he would say he only did what any loving father and community member would have done.
“He acted out of love,” she wrote. “Love for his daughters, love for the children inside that school and love for the community he has called home for most of his life.”
Kaylub Giamanco’s Family Says He Is ‘Not Seeking Recognition’ & the GoFundMe Will Cover Therapy & Lost Income While He Takes Time Off Work
Giamanco’s mother, Kenda Freeman, identified her son to The Associated Press and read a statement to reporters Friday saying he would not be speaking to the media, The Bend Bulletin reported.
“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. The family asked for privacy “during this difficult time.”
Kyle Giamanco told NBC News that part of the reason his brother does not want to speak publicly is that he does not feel like a hero. He said Kaylub cannot get the children out of his head and feels guilty that he was not able to save more of them. Kyle Giamanco said he is friends with the family of the 7-year-old who was hospitalized, and that the child was shot in the face and is recovering after surgery.
The GoFundMe, titled “Stand With Kaylub: A Father’s Courage at Silver Rail,” had raised $41,144 from 653 donors toward a $65,000 goal as of Friday afternoon, less than a day after it was created. Reynolds wrote that the money will go toward trauma-informed therapy for Giamanco, his wife and both daughters, any legal expenses or professional support that may arise from the shooting, and lost income and living expenses while Giamanco takes time away from work to be with his family.
“Being brave does not mean being unaffected. Being a hero does not mean you don’t need help,” Reynolds wrote.
She added that Giamanco wants the tragedy to lead to change. “Good has to come from this. Things have to change. Our children deserve to be safe at school,” she wrote, adding that he “should never have been placed in a situation where such courage was necessary.”
Governor Tina Kotek Said Kaylub Giamanco ‘Heroically Intervened to Stop Further Loss of Life’ & President Trump Called Him a ‘Great Hero’
Oregon Governor. Tina Kotek praised Giamanco without naming him in remarks Thursday, saying his actions likely saved lives as officers were arriving.
“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.
President Donald Trump was asked about Giamanco by reporters Friday before a rally in Georgia and called him a “great hero” who “took care of business.” The president said ahead of the rally, “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.”
Kaylub Giamanco: Hero Who Stopped Bend, Oregon, Shooter Identified