Oregon Father Kaylub Giamanco Stops School Shooter With One Shot

Oregon Father Kaylub Giamanco Earns Nationwide Presidential Medal of Freedom Calls After Stopping Elementary School Shooter

Kaylub Giamanco, an Oregon father of two, stopped a teenage gunman inside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend after hearing children pleading for their lives through shot-out glass doors. Nationwide calls are now building to award Giamanco the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his actions during the October attack that left the 16-year-old shooter dead and prevented what investigators say could have been a far worse outcome.

Giamanco had called 911 after witnessing the shooter blast through the school’s front entrance. Instead of waiting for police, he retrieved his.40 caliber pistol from his truck and entered the building while the attack was still unfolding. His decision to engage the threat directly has reignited the national debate over armed citizens and their role in stopping active violence.

🚨 NOW: Nationwide calls are ramping up to give Oregon HERO FATHER Kaylub Giamanco the Presidential Medal of Freedom after he rushed the elementary school shooter, taking him down

WHAT AN AMAZING MAN 🙏🏻

"I started hearing children pleasing for their lives….I knew that he did…

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 23, 2026

The Confrontation Inside

Giamanco described moving through the hallway on his hands and knees after entering the school. He heard gunfire and children in distress, which drove him to move faster. He crawled behind a recycle bin, then through a window that had been shot out, continuing into a breezeway near a special needs classroom.

Before advancing, Giamanco re-racked his weapon to confirm a live round was chambered. Through a window he saw a teacher struggling with the gunman, who was holding a rifle. Giamanco recognized that the shooter was unaware of his presence. “I knew that he did not know that I was there,” Giamanco stated in a recent interview. “And so at that point I swung the door out and opened and I stepped in and I fired.”

When authorities recovered the shooter’s body, they found approximately 44 shotgun shells still in his possession. The remaining ammunition underscored how much more damage the attacker intended to inflict before Giamanco intervened.

Nationwide Recognition Push

Social media platforms and conservative commentators have amplified calls for President Trump to award Giamanco the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor, typically reserved for individuals who have made exceptional contributions to national security, world peace, or cultural endeavors. Giamanco’s supporters argue that his willingness to confront lethal danger to protect children meets that standard.

The Oregon father has expressed discomfort with the label of hero. In interviews he has focused on the necessity of his actions rather than any personal accolades. His reluctance to accept praise has only intensified public admiration and calls for formal recognition.

President Trump previously addressed the Silver Rail shooting, praising the armed citizen who intervened and crediting him with limiting the death toll. The White House has not yet commented on the growing petition and social media campaign urging the president to grant Giamanco the Medal of Freedom.

The Case for Armed Citizens

Giamanco’s intervention provides a concrete example of the argument that law-abiding armed individuals can stop or mitigate mass violence when they are present and willing to act. The 16-year-old shooter had already killed four people—three children and one teacher—before Giamanco confronted him. The gunman’s remaining ammunition suggested he planned to continue the attack.

Critics of gun control often point to cases like this to argue that armed citizens serve as a deterrent and immediate response to threats in situations where police cannot arrive in time. Giamanco entered the school within minutes of the first shots being fired, a response time that no external law enforcement agency could match.

The speed of his response also highlights the limitations of relying solely on institutional security measures. The shooter bypassed the school’s locked doors by shooting through the glass, rendering that passive security feature ineffective. Giamanco’s armed presence inside the building provided the active resistance that stopped the attacker.

What Happens Next

The push for Giamanco to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom will likely continue to gain momentum as more Americans learn the details of his actions. Conservative media outlets and Second Amendment advocacy groups have seized on the story as proof that good guys with guns save lives when seconds count.

Giamanco’s case also serves as a reminder that the debate over firearms in America is not purely ideological—it involves real people making life-or-death decisions in moments of crisis. Whether the White House responds to the petition or not, Giamanco’s actions have already secured his place in the national conversation about armed self-defense and civilian intervention in active shooter scenarios.

For parents in Bend, Oregon, and across the country, Giamanco represents the kind of courage and decisive action that prevents tragedies from becoming catastrophes. His willingness to enter a building under fire, knowing he might not come back out, is the definition of selflessness that the Presidential Medal of Freedom was created to honor.