The "hero" who shot dead a teenage gunman after he had already killed three children and a teacher at an elementary school has been identified as Kaylub Giamanco, as the US entered a familiar — and likely fruitless — debate about gun control in the wake of the latest tragedy.
"As bad as it was, we had a great hero that went in and did the business," US President Donald Trump told journalists on Friday.
"It's a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it."
The politically powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) praised actions of 36-year-old carpenter.
"Yesterday's terrible act of violence in Oregon serves as another reminder of the importance of a law-abiding armed citizenry," the NRA said in a post on X.
Giamanco's actions "exemplify the heroism of everyday citizens who are prepared and ready to respond when innocent lives are on the line," it added.
Giamanco raced into Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday after the shooter, identified by local media as 16-year-old John J. Griffin II, blasted his way through locked doors and opened fire on youngsters.
Kaylub, who has two children at the school, was driving home for his lunch break on Thursday when he heard gunshots and saw Griffin going into the special education room of the school.
Giamanco has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, his brother told NBC, adding that he was having difficulty processing events at the moment and feels guilty that he did not save more people.
Streets quiet in Bend city
A woman identified as his mother told the local Fox affiliate she was "very proud" and that her son was "an absolute hero" before she read a prepared statement.
"He is not seeking recognition, but instead wishes to express his gratitude to the first responders, school personnel, and community for the outpouring of love and support," she said.
On Friday, the small city in the US northwest was struggling to come to terms with a tragedy that took the lives of children aged five, eight and 11, as well as a teacher, the latest victims of America's epidemic of gun violence that all-too-frequently afflicts the nation's schools.
Streets were quiet in an area known for its natural beauty, with hiking trails and ski pistes nearby that attract tens of thousands of visitors every year.
Kristen Vanetsky, 52, told AFP news agency she was in shock over the shooting at her grandson's school.
"My grandson should be in his classroom, with all of his friends," she said.
"Everybody should be in there learning, having fun, looking forward to their weekend, and it's just vacant," she said. "There's nothing. Even the birds are not here."
Gun violence debate
Even as the city tried to process the tragic events, the familiar contours of an argument that plays out after every school shooting in the US began to harden.
The NRA has invested millions of dollars campaigning for gun rights and supporting politicians who block the limits on ownership that the vast majority of Americans support.
Gun control advocates again lamented the ready availability of weaponry in a country where the number of gun-related deaths far outpaces most of the developed world.
The United States holds the highest rate of civilian firearm ownership globally, making it the world's most heavily armed society.
Persistent mass shootings in the US have repeatedly heightened public calls for stricter federal gun control measures.
Despite repeated calls over the years, the US Congress has yet to enact such restrictions.
"America's gun violence crisis is killing our babies. Enough is enough," gun-control group GIFFORDS said on X.
More than 360 mass shootings have been recorded across the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines them as incidents in which at least four people are shot, excluding the gunman.
Griffin's neighbours told AFP they had seen his mother taken away from the house she shared with the suspect on Thursday afternoon in a police patrol car.
That woman, Shauntai May Nickerson, was seen on her apartment and crying.
"If I could have prevented this, I would have," a tearful Nickerson said, according to The New York Times.
