The man who stopped a deadly elementary school attack in Bend, Oregon, by shooting the gunman is the father of two girls who attend the school, his mother said on Friday.
In a statement read to reporters, Kenda Freeman identified her son as Kaylub Giamanco, saying he intervened in Thursday's attack at Silver Rail Elementary School and shot the teenage assailant. The rampage claimed the lives of three students and a teacher, and left another student and teacher critically injured.
"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," Freeman said of her son, a lifelong Bend resident.
Police have not yet officially confirmed who shot the gunman, stating only that the suspect was found dead inside the school minutes after the shooting was first reported. The identity of the gunman has also not been released by authorities.
The incident is the latest mass shooting to shock the United States, a country grappling with a high rate of gun violence. Officials have lauded the decisive actions of the citizen who confronted the shooter.
On Friday, a day after the tragedy, community members laid flowers at a makeshift memorial outside Silver Rail Elementary School. Bend is a city of about 100,000 people in central Oregon that has experienced rapid growth in recent decades. The community is now mourning the lives lost in the attack.
Source: News agencies
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