“He was a hero”: Sacramento mom says her son shot, killed Oregon school shooter

Updated on: October 16, 2026 / 6:13 PM PDT / CBS Sacramento

A Sacramento mother says her son acted on instinct when he confronted and fatally shot a gunman during a deadly school shooting in Oregon, an attack that killed three children and a teacher.

Police said Friday they believed the teenage gunman was targeting a class of children with special needs when he opened fire at the school.

36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco was identified as the armed bystander who pursued the shooter into Silver Rail Elementary School in the city of Bend on Thursday. Giamanco is a father of two children who attend the school.

His mother, Kenda Freeman, said Giamanco is originally from Placerville, roughly 45 minutes northeast of Sacramento, but has lived in Oregon for more than 30 years.

Freeman, a Sacramento resident, spoke with CBS News Sacramento exclusively about her son's actions and the emotional toll she said he has experienced since the shooting. She described her son as someone who cares deeply about the people around him.

"Kaylub has a genuine heart and he loves his community and his family and his children," Freeman said. "He's just a good person, in general."

According to Freeman, Giamanco…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/