Oregon School Shooting Hero Dad Reveals How Children's Screams Still Haunt Him at Night

Kaylub Giamanco, the 36-year-old carpenter who fatally shot a teenage gunman inside an Oregon primary school last month, has revealed that the sounds of children pleading for their lives continue to disrupt his sleep.

Speaking during a Tuesday morning television appearance on CBS Mornings, the father of two recounted how he intervened during the 15 October attack at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend.

Although he fatally shot the attacker and ended the assault, Giamanco stated that he experiences recurring auditory memories of the victims when alone at night.

The shooting killed three children aged 5, 8 and 11, alongside 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert. A teaching assistant and a seven-year-old pupil were seriously injured.

Living With the Psychological Aftermath

Giamanco detailed the ongoing psychological toll of the attack, explaining that he frequently lies awake reliving the sounds of the children pleading before he reached the classroom.

He shared that closing his eyes and being alone at night often leaves him feeling trapped in his own thoughts, preventing him from sleeping. He expressed relief that his own two daughters, aged 5 and 10, survived the incident unharmed.

Giamanco noted that he experienced mixed feelings upon reuniting with them and remains focused on the four victims who died before he could reach the room. In previous remarks to Oregon Public Broadcasting, he apologised to the grieving families for not arriving sooner to save their children.

The Classroom Confrontation

The incident unfolded at 12:59 p.m. on 15 October, when Giamanco was driving home for lunch and saw 16-year-old former pupil Griffin J. John II firing a shotgun at a passing pickup truck and a grounds worker outside the school.

Grabbing a concealed handgun from his vehicle and contacting emergency services, Giamanco pursued the teenager into the building, crawling beneath windows until he located the assailant inside a special education classroom.

Giamanco said he spotted the teacher struggling with the gunman through a classroom window. Cassidy Schutz had thrown her mobile phone at the teenager before tackling him, creating a brief opportunity for Giamanco to open the door and enter the room.

Giamanco said that he uttered an expletive after shooting the gunman, explaining he had no interest in listening to an attacker who had just killed young children.

Plans for a School Security Non-Profit

As Bend-La Pine Schools prepares to welcome pupils back to Silver Rail Elementary on Thursday, 12 November, following restoration work, the district has announced additional security and mental health support measures.

Appearing alongside his wife, Kelsey, he confirmed that he is considering establishing a non-profit organisation focused on school security and mental health support for children.

Giamanco explained that the experience gave him a personal sense of obligation to act as a protector, stating that possessing the ability to defend others carries a responsibility to intervene when people are placed in danger.

His proposed initiative coincides with heightened local focus on campus safety, as district officials prepare to welcome students back with a dedicated school resource officer. The school will also have a temporary wall separating the affected classroom from the rest of the building, preventing pupils from seeing inside.