911 Audio Released From Oregon School Shooting Shows Father Telling Dispatcher He Would Shoot

Deschutes County, Oregon, released a 78-second 911 recording on November 3 documenting a father’s call as he drove toward Silver Rail Elementary School during the October 15 shooting. Kaylub Giamanco told the dispatcher that someone with a gun was at his daughter’s school and that he was armed as well. He said he would shoot the attacker if necessary. The dispatcher repeatedly told him not to act and asked him to remain on the line while officers were sent to the scene. Giamanco then reported that the gunman had entered the school and was firing.

Giamanco eventually went inside. He encountered the 16-year-old attacker in a special-education classroom, where a teacher was struggling with the teenager over his firearm. Giamanco shot and killed the gunman. The attack had killed three children and one teacher, while another student and another teacher were wounded. Police officials have credited the teacher and the parent with helping stop the attack.

A 78-second call captures the approach to the school

At the beginning of the recording, Giamanco tells the 911 dispatcher that someone is at his daughter’s school with a gun. He says he has a firearm and warns that he will shoot if he has to. The dispatcher asks him to explain what is happening, tells him not to do anything and says she will send an officer.

Giamanco repeatedly identifies Silver Rail Elementary and reports that the armed person is entering from the south side of the building. When the dispatcher asks whether the person is firing, he answers yes. The dispatcher continues asking questions and tells him to stay on the line.

Parts of the recording are difficult to hear because the two speakers talk over each other and other calls can be heard in the background. Deschutes County said the audio does not capture every word clearly. It is therefore important to distinguish what can be heard in the recording from statements Giamanco later recalled in interviews.

A teacher was already struggling with the gunman

The Associated Press and The Washington Post reported that Giamanco entered the school after the call and reached a special-education classroom. Teacher Cassidy Schutz was struggling with the gunman and trying to gain control of the weapon when Giamanco fired, killing the teenager. Giamanco then left the classroom, placed his firearm on the floor and raised his hands as police arrived.

Police identified the shooter as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II. Authorities said he killed three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher. Another student and another teacher were wounded. The casualty figures were reported by police and news organizations following the attack.

The response inside the classroom involved more than one person. Police officials praised the teacher who confronted the gunman as well as Giamanco, whose intervention ended the immediate threat. The newly released call adds a record of the moments before he entered the building, but it does not replace the police investigation into how the attack unfolded.

The dispatcher urged him to wait for officers

The recording shows the dispatcher asking Giamanco to remain on the line and not take action while police were on the way. He repeatedly reported the attacker’s location and the sound of gunfire. The call becomes quiet on Giamanco’s end after the dispatcher asks about the attacker’s appearance, while the dispatcher continues asking for information and other emergency calls can be heard in the background.

Oregon Public Broadcasting had previously interviewed Giamanco. He described being in a state of panic as he approached the school and said he feared more people would die if he waited. He recalled telling the dispatcher that he had to go inside. OPB noted that those exact words cannot be heard clearly in the county-released recording, and that parts of his side of the call are garbled or missing.

The distinction matters because the audio is not a complete transcript of every exchange. It confirms that Giamanco reported an armed attacker, said he was armed and described the shooter entering the building. It does not independently verify every detail of his later account.

Questions about school safety and emergency response remain

The release gives the public a clearer view of what the parent and dispatcher knew as the attack was unfolding. It does not answer every question about the school’s security, the timing of police arrival or how the response could be improved. The county released the recording in response to a public-records request, while police and school officials continue to address the aftermath of the shooting.

The confirmed facts are that Deschutes County released the 78-second call, Giamanco told the dispatcher he had a firearm and reported that the attacker was inside the school, and the shooting left four people dead before Giamanco shot the gunman. Further details about the dispatch timeline, school security procedures and any policy changes will depend on additional investigative records and official reviews.