Bend Teacher Rushed Into Gunfire to Shield Students in Shooting
WHO:
CNN - Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter and military veteran whose children attended Silver Rail Elementary School, followed the shooter into the school and fatally shot him.
CNN - Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the shooter had previously been a special needs student at Silver Rail.
PBS - The shooter was identified as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former student at Silver Rail Elementary.
PBS - Teacher Becky Drury was wounded in the attack and remained hospitalized.
PBS - Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher were killed; another student was critically injured.
PBS - A second teacher threw her phone at the attacker and tackled him, wrestling for control of the weapon; authorities said her actions likely saved lives.
PBS - Superintendent Steven Cook said some families were not ready for schools to reopen and Silver Rail families were still going through “a lot of processes.”
WHAT:
CNN - Giamanco told Oregon Public Broadcasting: “I’m sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die.” He said he panicked because “there’s children, there’s babies in there.”
PBS - Drury said she ran to investigate, saw the shooter, and rushed back to the classroom. The shooter was already at the door; he shot her at close range before she could shut it.
PBS - Drury said the gunshot nearly severed her left hand and also struck her right arm. Unable to get up or defend anyone, she pretended to be dead in hopes the shooter would not shoot again.
PBS - Drury disputed reports that she threw herself on top of a student, saying she wanted to correct the record and that accurate, respectful reporting could help heal the wounds.
PBS - Bend police said their investigation included search warrants at the attacker’s home and on his electronic devices and social media accounts.
WHERE:
CNN - The shooting occurred at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, a city in central Oregon.
PBS - The attack targeted a special education classroom at Silver Rail Elementary.
PBS - Schools in the district reopened, except Silver Rail; dozens of officers were at each reopened school to welcome students.
WHEN:
PBS - The shooting occurred “last Thursday,” and schools reopened “Wednesday,” according to the article.
WHY:
CNN - Kaylub Giamanco said he panicked because “there’s children, there’s babies in there.”
HOW:
PBS - Becky Drury said she had no chance to shelter the children before the shooter reached the classroom door and shot her.
PBS - The shooter used a shotgun to blast through locked doors and attack the classroom. Police Chief Krantz said the pump-action shotgun had been purchased legally, but did not identify the buyer; investigators were still determining how it reached the shooter.
PBS - The Associated Press had previously reported, citing an unnamed law enforcement source not authorized to discuss the investigation, that the shooter’s mother bought the shotgun.
CNN - Police said the shooter forced entry by firing into glass panes in an external set of doors.
PBS - The district closed schools after the shooting; Silver Rail remained closed when other schools reopened.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 19:10 UTC)
A 36-year-old carpenter and military veteran followed a gunman into Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, and fatally shot him, saying he feared children would die. Authorities identified the attacker as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former student who had attended the school’s special-needs program. He used a legally purchased shotgun to blast through doors and attack a special education classroom; investigators are still examining how he obtained the weapon. Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher were killed, and another student was critically injured. Teacher Becky Drury was shot at close range as she tried to shut her classroom door, suffering serious injuries to both arms. A second teacher tackled the gunman after throwing her phone at him, actions authorities say likely saved lives. District schools have reopened, but Silver Rail remains closed as families continue to cope.
--
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 18:22 UTC)
At Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, a 16-year-old former student killed three children and a teacher in an attack on a special education classroom. Griffin J. John II used a legally purchased pump-action shotgun to break through locked doors; investigators are still determining how he obtained it. Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old carpenter and military veteran whose children attended the school, followed the shooter inside and fatally shot him. A second teacher tackled the attacker and struggled for his weapon, actions authorities said likely saved lives. Teacher Becky Drury was shot in both arms and remained hospitalized; she said she pretended to be dead after being unable to move. Another student was critically injured. The district reopened schools with officers present, but Silver Rail remained closed as families continued to cope with the attack.