A bystander who stopped an active shooter Thursday at an Oregon elementary school in an assault that left five people dead, including the gunman, is being hailed as a hero for his actions.
The City of Bend Police Department said a 16-year-old suspect shot his way into Silver Rail Elementary School and killed three children and a teacher and wounded two others before an armed man − later identified as a parent of two children at the school − followed him inside and fatally shot him.
The man who fatally shot the teen attacker has been identified by family as 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, NBC News and CBS News reported.
Kyle Giamanco told NBC that his brother, whose two daughters attend Silver Rail Elementary, was “driving home for his lunch break” and heard gunshots before he saw the teenage suspect enter the school.
A statement released by Giamanco’s family to CBS on Oct. 16 read: “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.”
Kyle Giamanco said his brother is a local carpenter and that he has a concealed-weapon permit.
President Donald Trump on Oct. 16 praised the man who confronted and killed the gunman, calling him a “great hero.”
“He took care of business, and thank God we had him, otherwise it would have been much worse,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “It’s a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the Giamanco family.
This is a developing story.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Thank God we had him’: Hero stops active shooter at elementary school
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