- Published
A father who shot dead a gunman at his two daughters' school in the US state of Oregon has described "hearing children pleading for their lives" and his anguish over those he could not save.
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he → publish → those
Three students and a teacher were killed by a 16-year-old former student at Silver Rail Elementary School earlier this month.
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students → kill → School
The attacker was then killed by parent Kaylub Giamanco.
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attacker → kill → Giamanco
"I want to apologise for not saving their babies," Giamanco, who has been hailed as a hero, said of his thoughts for the parents of the children killed in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) that aired on Friday.
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that → want → Friday
"The gratitude for saving people's children is awesome, but there were ones that I didn't save."
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I → save → that
Giamanco, 36, said he wanted to meet the victims' families and "cry with them and hold them".
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he → say → them
He credited a teacher who fought the attacker with giving him the chance to intervene without losing his own life.
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who → credit → life
"I would love to give her a hug because that's a real true hero," he said.
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he → love → hug
The students who were killed were all boys, aged five, eight and 11.
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who → kill → ?
They were among six people in total who were shot in a classroom at the school, police said.
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police → shoot → school
Alongside the teacher who was also killed, another child and a teacher were wounded.
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child → kill → teacher
Giamanco told OPB the day of the attack began with breakfast and packed lunches.
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day → tell → breakfast
He and his wife spent extra time getting their daughters ready because it was school picture day.
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it → spend → time
The carpenter had taken lunch to work but decided to go home to eat with his wife instead.
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carpenter → take → wife
That decision brought him past the school as the attack began.
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attack → bring → school
He initially wondered whether someone carrying a long gun was playing a prank.
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someone → wonder → prank
Then he saw him fire at a pickup truck and head towards the school.
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him → see → school
Giamanco retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and called emergency services.
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Giamanco → retrieve → services
"I said, 'I'm sorry, I have to go in.
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I → say → ?
People are going to die,'" he told the broadcaster.
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he → go → broadcaster
He followed the attacker, who shot through the school's locked glass doors.
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who → follow → doors
Hearing children pleading for their lives and more gunfire, Giamanco crawled towards the building.
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Giamanco → hear → building
"I told myself this is probably the last thing that I'm ever going to do," he said.
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he → tell → that
Giamanco crawled through a shattered window and reached the classroom, where a teacher was struggling with the gunman.
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teacher → crawl → gunman
He opened the door and fired.
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He → open → door
Giamanco told OPB he fired again when the attacker reached for his weapon.
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attacker → tell → weapon
He then placed his own gun on the ground and raised his hands as an officer appeared.
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officer → place → hands
He described feeling like the "last line of defence" between the children and the gunman and said he "was supposed to be there" that day.
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he → describe → children
Afterwards, he called his wife to say he would not be home for lunch and that she needed to get to the school immediately.
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she → call → school
He then called his mother to tell her what had happened.
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what → call → her
"Mum, I just had to take the life of what I think is might be a child because he ran into my daughter's school with a gun," he said.
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he → have → gun
Police identified the gunman as Griffin J John II - a former pupil who had attended special education classes at the school.
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who → identify → school
His motive remains under investigation.
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motive → remain → investigation
Police said the teacher who confronted the attacker had thrown her phone at him, tackled him and fought to take his shotgun.
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who → say → shotgun
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said she "almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed".
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she → say → bloodshed
His father said the family was "broken and lost".
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family → say → ?
Megan Lambert, 25, the teacher who was killed, was working in what her family described as her "dream job".
"She always fought for the underdog and those with special needs," they said.
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they → kill → needs
The other two boys have not been publicly named at their families' request.
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boys → name → request
The injured teacher has been named as Becky Drury, 54.
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teacher → injure → Drury
She said in a statement shared with US media that the gunman shot her as she tried to shut her classroom door.
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she → say → door
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
