The bystander who stepped in to stop a gunman at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, has come forward and identified himself as Kaylub Giamanco, a lifelong Bend resident who has two daughters at the school.
Police say he pursued and fatally shot the 16-year-old attacker, ending a rampage that took the lives of three children and a teacher and wounded two others.
A statement released by Giamanco’s family on Friday said, “He is not seeking recognition, but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel, and community for the outpouring of love and support.”
“The tragedy at Silver Rail Elementary has devastated the Bend community,” they wrote.
Giamanco and his family asked for privacy and said they will not be giving interviews.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz told reporters Thursday that the shooter entered the school by “shooting at locked doors.” He was then pursued by the bystander, who shot and killed him, Krantz said.
When police arrived minutes later, Krantz says they found the deceased shooter and four victims — three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher — inside the school. Two other victims, a student and a teacher, were hospitalized with critical injuries.
The attacker has been identified as John Griffin, two law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation told CBS News. He used a shotgun purchased by his mother, law enforcement sources said. The suspect was from Bend but police have not said if he had a connection to the school.