Newly released 911 audio captures the urgent response of Kaylub Giamanco before he entered Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, during a shooting on Oct. 15, 2026. Giamanco, whose two daughters attended the school, told a dispatcher he was prepared to confront the armed attacker. The shooting killed three children and a teacher and wounded another child and teacher.
The recording shows Giamanco reporting the gunman’s location while emergency personnel instructed him to wait for police. He later entered the school with a legally owned pistol kept in his vehicle and intervened as a teacher struggled with the 16-year-old attacker.
Authorities said Giamanco shot the attacker multiple times after the teacher tackled him. Giamanco has received praise for stopping the assault but has also spoken publicly about his anguish over those who were killed.
| 1) | 911 call records the initial emergency |
| 2) | Father describes the decision to enter |
| 3) | Teacher and father confront the attacker |
| 4) | Victims and school community face loss |
| 5) | Praise for intervention is paired with grief |
911 call records the initial emergency
Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter and father, called 911 after learning that an armed person was at his daughters’ elementary school in Bend. The call was made on Oct. 15 as the attack unfolded at Silver Rail Elementary School. Giamanco told the dispatcher that someone with a gun was at his daughter’s school and indicated he was prepared to act immediately.
“Oh my god. Hello 911. Someone’s at the school. My daughter’s school with a gun.”
The dispatcher urged him not to intervene and said an officer was being sent. As the call continued, people discussed the attacker’s location and whether shots were being fired. Giamanco reported that the attacker was entering from the south side of the building and warned that people were being shot.
Father describes the decision to enter
Giamanco later described the decision to enter the school as a desperate effort to protect children while he feared he might not survive. He said he heard children pleading for their lives and then heard gunfire. Those sounds prompted him to move toward the building despite the danger.
“That’s when I started hearing children pleading for their lives, and then I started hearing gunfire. And I just started army crawling faster and faster, and I told myself this is probably the last thing that I’m ever going to do.”
Giamanco entered carrying a .40-caliber pistol that he legally kept in his vehicle. His account explains how he moved from reporting the emergency to directly confronting the threat before police arrived at the school.
Teacher and father confront the attacker
According to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz, Giamanco found a teacher already fighting the 16-year-old attacker. The teacher had thrown her cellphone at the gunman, then tackled him. Giamanco joined the intervention and shot the attacker multiple times, stopping the assault.
The confrontation occurred inside Silver Rail Elementary School as emergency responders were being dispatched. The police account places the teacher’s actions and Giamanco’s intervention at the center of the effort to stop the attacker and protect people inside the building.
Victims and school community face loss
The shooting killed three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert. Police said another child and another teacher were wounded. The deaths and injuries affected the school community in Bend, where families and staff were responding to the attack and its aftermath.
Lambert’s family later addressed Giamanco’s intervention during an October news conference. The family acknowledged the emotional burden he was carrying and expressed gratitude that he placed himself at risk to help others.
“We want the bystander who intervened to know we know he is going through a rough time, but we are grateful, and we think he is a hero. You selflessly put yourself at risk for others.”
Praise for intervention is paired with grief
Giamanco has been praised for helping stop the gunman, but he has also emphasized the people he could not save. In remarks after the attack, he apologized for not saving the children and teacher who died. His comments reflect the trauma experienced by people who respond directly to mass violence, even when their actions help prevent further harm.
“I want to apologize for not saving their babies. The gratitude for saving people’s children is awesome, but there were ones that I didn’t save.”
The newly released call provides a contemporaneous account of the danger outside the school and the uncertainty facing those trying to understand where the gunman was. Combined with police and witness accounts, it details how a parent, a teacher and responding authorities became involved in the effort to stop the attack.
| Number | Key Point |
|---|---|
| 1 | The 911 call was made during the Oct. 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School. |
| 2 | Giamanco reported the gunman and warned that people were being shot. |
| 3 | A teacher tackled the attacker before Giamanco shot him multiple times. |
| 4 | Three children and teacher Megan Lambert were killed, while two others were wounded. |
| 5 | Giamanco’s praise has been accompanied by grief over those who died. |
Summary
The 911 recording shows how quickly the situation developed at Silver Rail Elementary School and documents Giamanco’s effort to report the threat before entering the building. Police said his intervention followed a teacher’s attempt to subdue the attacker and helped end the assault. The incident left three children and a teacher dead, wounded two others, and deeply affected the school community. Giamanco’s own statements underscore both the value of his actions and the lasting grief surrounding the victims.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the shooting occur?
The shooting occurred on Oct. 15, 2026, at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon.
Who intervened during the attack?
A teacher first confronted and tackled the 16-year-old attacker. Kaylub Giamanco then intervened with a .40-caliber pistol and shot the attacker multiple times, according to police.
How many people were killed and wounded?
Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert were killed. Police said a child and another teacher were wounded.
