16-year-old kills three children and a teacher at Bend, Oregon elementary school before being shot by a bystander
A 16-year-old gunman opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher before being shot and killed by a person at the scene, according to authorities. The victims included Rhoam Summer, age 5, and two other children ages 8 and 11, as well as 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also injured and taken to local hospitals.
The first 911 call came at 12:59 p.m. on Thursday after the driver of a red pickup truck saw the suspect throw a long gun over the school fence and climb over after it, according to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz. The gunman then fired at the truck, striking it at least three times, before entering the building. At 1:01 p.m., police directed the school to go into lockdown.
The gunman went directly into the classroom just left of the entrance and fired as many as 15 rounds, according to Krantz. The classroom was dedicated to special needs students, according to Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook. A teacher — who was not injured — threw her cellphone at the shooter and physically tackled him in an attempt to take the gun away, the police chief said.
A 36-year-old father, later identified by his family as Kaylub Giamanco, had witnessed the initial shooting outside, drove into the school parking lot, and followed the suspect into the building with a legally obtained .40-caliber pistol, police said. When Giamanco heard gunfire and saw the teacher struggling with the gunman, he entered the classroom and fired, striking the suspect multiple times. At 1:02 p.m. — approximately three minutes after the first 911 call — police arrived and reported the shooter had been killed. President Donald Trump described Giamanco as "a great hero" who "took care of business."