Teacher, parent hailed as heroes in halting Oregon school shooter

Teacher, parent hailed as heroes in halting Oregon school shooter Kaylub Giamanco, 36, a parent of two students at Silver Rail Elementary School, has been identified by family as the man who followed the teen gunman into the school and fatally shot him.

Key points

• Christopher Cann, Natalie Neysa Alund, Jeanine Santucci, Aysha Bagchi, Josh Meyer, Will Carless USA TODAY.
• Two of the victims were identified as 5-year-old Rhoam Summer and 25-year-old Megan Lambert.
• Downtown, volunteers pulled together for a "community day" at Sarah Swoffer's business, TEAL Tea & Art Lounge.
• The other two boys and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert were already dead when those first responders arrived, Krantz remarked.
• Authorities praised the actions of the bystander as heroic; he followed Griffin inside after seeing him blast through a door at Silver Rail Elementary.

Meanwhile, the teen gunman suspected of firing his way into a special education class at a Bend, Oregon, elementary school and killing four individuals before being fatally shot by a bystander has been identified as questions swirl over feasible motives.

Police identified the shooter as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former student at the Silver Rail Elementary school he chose as the target of his deadly assault.

Authorities praised the actions of the bystander as heroic; he followed Griffin inside after seeing him blast through a door at Silver Rail Elementary. The bystander is a parent of students who attend the school and he shot the intruder a number of times moments after the deadly assault in a classroom.

For context, the bystander was identified by family members as Kaylub Giamanco, 36. Police remarked he probable saved lives by killing the mass shooter before he could obtain to more victims.

Another hero was a teacher who threw her cellphone at the suspect, tackled him, and fought to take away his 12-gauge pump shotgun. "She almost certainly prevented more bloodshed, " Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz remarked. The teacher, one of three in the classroom, survived unharmed. One other teacher was killed and another was being treated at an area hospital.

Krantz and other leaders in Bend, a city of regarding 107, 000 residents in Central Oregon, choked back tears at a Friday press conference as they published horrific details of the children, ages 5, 8, and 11. This person were fatally shot. "We're here to release details, " Krantz remarked. "They're hard to hear. They're hard to accept."

"To the people who showed courage in the face of such violence and intervened to prevent this tragedy from being any worse, we owe you a debt of gratitude, " he remarked at the news briefing.

Notably, the shooting unfolded just before 1 p.m. Thursday. Along with the victims who died, a 7-year-old child and another teacher were being treated at hospitals for injuries.

John, the suspect, was previously a special education student at Silver Rail Elementary. He traveled on foot to the school before jumping a fence and firing his way through a door and entering the classroom near the entry door.

'Thank God we had him': Hero stops active shooter at elementary school.

Meanwhile, the shooting is the 28th mass killing of the year in the United States, of which 21 are shootings, according to James Alan Fox of the Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killing Database. Bend community rallies around school, victims.

Meanwhile, the Bend community has rallied around Silver Rail Elementary families and city.

Downtown, volunteers pulled together for a "community day" at Sarah Swoffer's business, TEAL Tea & Art Lounge. Free art projects for kids drew tables from the front door to the back full of parents and children.

"Fear does not drive out hate. Hate does not drive out hate. Love and community is what drives out hate, " Swoffer remarked hours after the shooting on social media. Swoffer remarked she couldn't do much, but that she could offer a space to gather and find therapy through art. Volunteers additionally set up a free therapy corner.

Among the volunteers was Suzy Anderson, a licensed counselor who remarked she's seen the outpouring of a desire to assist firsthand. "I could put my angst toward something good, " Anderson remarked.

Casey Rogers, an owner of Ken's Artisan Pizza, is offering free kids' pizzas throughout the weekend and donated pizzas at TEAL. Rogers remarked he's not a father himself but felt "super empty" after the shooting.

"We didn't know how we could help or how we could support, " Rogers remarked. Who was Megan Lambert, teacher killed in shooting?

In practice, the family of Megan Lambert, the 25-year-old teacher who died, described her in an official note read by police spokesperson Sheila Miller as a "compassionate" woman with a "huge heart, " who "always fought for the underdog."

Lambert grew up in Bend, Oregon, and was passionate regarding playing sports, especially volleyball, her family stated. During her first season coaching volleyball, she turned down pay so that families who otherwise couldn't afford to participate would be able to. Lambert loved Silver Rail Elementary, her family remarked. "This was her dream job, " the family remarked.

Lambert's family members remarked they want the families of the other victims to know her family was thinking of and praying for them.

"Megan loved those children, and so we will show you love, for her, " they remarked. 'Heroic' classroom teacher tackled, fought shooter.

Along with the 36-year-old father who followed the suspect into the school, a teacher in the classroom he attacked additionally took "heroic action" to protect lives, Krantz stated at the news conference.

That teacher threw her cell phone at John before tackling him and fighting to take away his gun, according to Krantz.

"She was not injured in that incident, but she almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed, " Krantz continued. First responders tried to save life of boy who died.

According to Krantz, officers and medics who arrived at the school tried save the life of one of three children who died. All three of those children were boys, he remarked.

Notably, the other two boys and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert were already dead when those first responders arrived, Krantz remarked. Police describe health conditions of injured child and teacher.

Police Chief Mike Krantz remarked the 7-year-old child, a girl. This person was injured and taken to a hospital is in serious but stable condition.

In practice, the 54-year-old teacher who was taken to a hospital additionally suffered serious injuries, but her injuries are not life-threatening, Krantz stated. Father whose kids attend Silver Rail school followed shooter inside.

Notably, a 36-year-old man who has children who attend the elementary school witnessed the initial incident in which the teen assailant shot at the red pickup truck, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz remarked.

That man, identified by family members to multiple news outlets Friday as Kaylub Giamanco, drove his vehicle into the elementary school parking lot, according to Krantz. He retrieved a pistol that was legally secured in his vehicle and went into the school, the police chief continued.

For context, the man entered the school, heard shooting and saw a teacher struggling with the shooter, Krantz remarked.

"He then went to the classroom where the struggle was underway and fired his weapon, striking the suspect multiple times, " according to Krantz. 'Everyone wants to know why, including us'.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz remarked officers are urgently investigating why the suspect shot his way into the school and opened fire. He declined to respond to a question regarding motive, citing the ongoing investigation.

"Your question is relevant in that everyone wants to know why, including us, " Krantz remarked. "And I think that's one of the most challenging parts of these types of investigations and cases is determining the why and the motives."

And that is part of the current, very active, as I said, open investigation that we're working on, and it will require substantial investigative time to continue that, Krantz continued. But that is the answer we're seeking as well.

"We may never get that full answer, " Krantz remarked, "but we want it." Family confirms identity of injured teacher.

Educational assistant Rebecca "Becky" Drury was injured in the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary school and is recovering in a hospital, a family spokesman confirmed to USA TODAY on Friday.

In short, teacher, parent hailed as heroes in halting Oregon school shooter is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.