911 Call From Oregon School Shooter’s Killer Released
Audio from Kaylub Giamanco’s call reveals he claimed he would shoot the attacker immediately upon seeing him at Silver Rail Elementary.
By Harvey Wilson ·
A recorded 911 call from Kaylub Giamanco, the father who fatally shot a 16-year-old student at an Oregon elementary school, was released to the public on Tuesday. The audio, which lasted slightly more than one minute, provides a first-hand account of the moments leading up to the confrontation at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend.
Giamanco told the dispatcher that someone with a gun was at the school where his daughter was enrolled. He stated, “I have a gun and I will shoot them right now.” The operator urged him to wait for an officer, but Giamanco grew frustrated during the exchange. He told the dispatcher, “I’m about to go kill this kid,” before the line went silent.
The shooting occurred on Oct. 15. The student, Griffin J. John II, forced his way through locked doors and killed three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, along with a teacher in a special needs classroom. Another student was critically injured, and a second teacher was hospitalized.
Before Giamanco arrived, Cassidy Schutz, a certified learning specialist, attempted to stop the shooter. She threw her phone at him, tackled him, and wrestled for control of his weapon. Giamanco later described her as a “real true hero” because her actions created an opening for him to enter the classroom.
Schutz, whose name was released by Bend-La Pine Schools last week, shared a statement saying there are no words to describe her sadness. She wrote, “This is not a story. This is a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy, and it is our real lives.” She said her focus remains on the families and her own healing.
Becky Drury, the other teacher in the room, said she tried to shut the door behind her but the shooter was already inside. She was shot in her left hand and right arm. Drury stated she pretended to be dead on the floor to avoid further shots.
In an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, Giamanco said he climbed through a window and saw Schutz and the shooter in profile. He felt he was the “last line of defense” between the attacker and the other children. He fired at the shooter, who fell to the floor. Giamanco said he fired two more shots to ensure the student could not move, expressing fear that the shooter would fire again.
Giamanco said he regrets not arriving sooner to save those who were killed and injured. The audio release follows a public records request filed with The Associated Press.
