The father who stopped the Bend school shooter is a rare case, experts say

The story

The man who ended Thursday's shooting at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, has been named as Kaylub Giamanco. He is 36, a carpenter who grew up in Bend, and his two daughters go to the school.

Police say a 16 year old forced his way in by shooting through locked doors and killed three children and a teacher. Giamanco was driving nearby, heard the gunfire, and followed him inside. He shot and killed the teen before officers got there just after 1 p.m. His family says he has a concealed carry permit and is not looking for any credit.

Gov. Tina Kotek thanked him without using his name, saying he helped stop more lives from being lost and now carries a heavy weight of his own.

People who study mass shootings say an armed bystander ending an attack like this is rare. Most of these shootings end when the attacker stops, runs, or is stopped by police. Gun rights groups are already pointing to Bend as proof that armed citizens make a difference, while others warn against drawing big conclusions from one case.

For families in Bend, none of that debate changes what happened. Four people are gone, and a whole town is grieving.