Oregon father who stopped a school gunman apologizes for the lives lost
On ABC's World News Tonight, Caleb Giamonco describes entering Silver Rail Elementary in Bend after hearing gunfire, and the teacher he found already struggling with the shooter.
Why this story? One of ABC News's most watched videos since yesterday, with 69,461 views.
Hero dad on taking down teen shooter at Oregon school
Caleb Giamonco was driving near Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, when he saw an armed person, according to ABC News' report. Within minutes he was inside the school.
The segment, from World News Tonight with David Muir and reported by Alex Stone, is the first time the father has spoken publicly about the shooting. It draws on his interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting. "I can tell you that I genuinely feel like I was supposed to be there," he says.
He describes taking his gun and crawling into the building. "I started hearing children pleading for their lives, and then I started hearing gunfire." When he opened the door to a special needs classroom, he says, a teacher was wrestling the shooter. Giamonco says the gunman was scrambling for his weapon, and he opened fire. ABC describes the shooter as a teenager.
Three children and a teacher were killed. Giamonco does not present the day as a rescue. "I want to apologize for not saving their babies," he says.
Stone closes the report live from Los Angeles. He says the victims' families are grateful to Giamonco, and he notes the courage of the unarmed teacher who was fighting the gunman when the father reached the room.
The report drew about 70,000 views in its first three hours, the most of any new ABC News video since yesterday. A separate upload of the same report is also gathering views on the channel.
Published on Trari
Where next?
- Channel
- ABC News
- Subscribers
- 19,900,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 67,419,012
- Channel views, pace per day
- 6,275,181 (on a normal day: 8,835,606)
- Video published
- October 24, 2026
- Video views so far
- 69,461 (less than a day online)
The numbers
The report reached ABC News' most watched spot among its new videos within hours of being posted.



