Father who killed Oregon school shooter released 911 call to media
Records show Kaylub Giamanco told the operator he had a gun and was going to stop the attacker at Silver Rail Elementary School.
By Samira Khalil ·
Kaylub Giamanco told a 911 operator on Tuesday that he was holding a gun and intended to shoot the man who had killed four people at an Oregon elementary school. The audio, which lasted just over a minute, was released to The Associated Press following a public records request.
In the recording, Giamanco describes seeing someone with a firearm at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend. He states he is driving home for lunch when he spots the shooter. The operator urges him to wait for an officer, but Giamanco grows increasingly frustrated. He tells the dispatcher, “I’m about to go kill this kid.”
The call ends abruptly after Giamanco confirms the shooter is entering the building and firing. The incident occurred on Oct. 15, when 16 year old Griffin J. John II shot his way through locked doors into the school. He killed three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, and a teacher in a special needs classroom.
A teacher named Cassidy Schutz tried to stop John before Giamanco arrived. Schutz threw her phone at the attacker, tackled him, and wrestled for control of his weapon. Her actions created an opening for Giamanco to enter the classroom through an open window. Giamanco described Schutz as a real true hero because her struggle gave him a clear line of sight to shoot the attacker.
Giamanco climbed into the school through a window and peeked into the classroom where he saw Schutz and John in profile. He stepped into the room and fired his gun. John reached for his shotgun, but Giamanco shot him two more times to ensure he could not move. Giamanco said he was afraid John would shoot anyone else if he remained on his feet.
Another teacher in the room, Becky Drury, was shot in her left hand and right arm at close range. Drury said she tried to shut the door behind her, but John was already there. Unable to stand, she pretended to be dead in hopes he would not shoot her again. She was hospitalized and has since released a statement saying she never had a chance to shelter the children.
Schutz, a certified learning specialist, was identified by Bend-La Pine Schools last week. She wrote that there are no words to describe the sadness she feels following the shooting. She described the event as a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy that affects real lives. Schutz said her focus is now on the families, the school, and her own healing.
Giamanco told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he regrets not arriving soon enough to save everyone who was killed and injured. He said he felt like he was the last line of defense between the shooter and the rest of the children. If he had not been there, he said, he does not know what would have happened.
