BEND, Ore. — A teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School tackled and fought a 16-year-old shooter during an attack that left three children and a teacher dead and prevented further casualties, authorities said on Oct. 16. The incident took place in a special needs classroom at the school in Bend, a city of about 100,000 residents located approximately 175 miles southeast of Portland.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz detailed the events at a news conference, describing how the teacher threw her cell phone at the assailant before wrestling with him in an attempt to disarm him. “She was not injured in that incident, but she almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed,” Krantz said. As the two struggled, a parent entered the classroom and fatally shot the assailant.

The gunman, identified by police as Griffin J. John II, was a former student at the school. Armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, he opened fire through locked glass doors to enter the campus, firing approximately 15 rounds in the classroom. He carried an additional 44 rounds on his person. The shooting resulted in the deaths of three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, as well as a teacher, and left two other victims wounded.

The parent who intervened was identified as Kaylub Giamanco, who had followed the shooter into the school after witnessing him firing outside the campus. Giamanco’s mother read a statement explaining that he is the father of two girls attending Silver Rail Elementary and is not seeking public recognition but is expressing gratitude toward first responders, school staff, and the community. The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time.

Police arrived on the scene within three minutes of receiving the initial call, finding the shooter deceased. Krantz praised both the teacher’s and the parent’s actions, calling their courage “true heroism” and highlighting that their willingness to risk their lives likely saved many others in the school.

Local residents gathered near the cordoned-off crime scene to mourn the victims, leaving flowers and candles. Community members expressed gratitude toward Giamanco’s intervention and reflected on the painful aftermath of the shooting.

The incident adds to the growing list of deadly school shootings in the United States, joining attacks at Columbine High School in 1999, Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, and Robb Elementary School in 2022. Each of these tragedies has intensified ongoing national discussions about gun laws and school safety measures in the country, where the constitutional right to bear arms remains a deeply contentious issue.