Three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, and one teacher were killed Thursday inside Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, after a 16-year-old entered the building with a shotgun. The first 911 call came at 12:59 p.m. from a driver reporting a shot fired at his car. Officers arrived three minutes later. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher remain in critical condition at a Bend hospital, and police say all families have been notified.
The shooter, who had attended Silver Rail as a student, used a Maverick 88 pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother. Oregon law allows a 16-year-old to possess a parent-gifted shotgun. He was shot and killed by Kaylub Giamanco, a community member and father of two students at the school, who followed him into the building. Superintendent Steven Cook says the district’s focus is on caring for students and staff and assisting police and emergency workers. Classes, sports, and activities are canceled Friday, with drop-in support events planned at two locations.
For families on the Suncoast, this story cuts close to home. Many of us have waited in the car line at an elementary school and thought about the day we hope never comes. If you’re looking for how to talk to your kids about this, start simple, listen more than you talk, and answer honestly. What questions do you have for your own school district this week?
