The Democrats' latest push for gun control leads to an unpleasant reality about how to stop a school killer

An armed bystander helped end a deadly school shooting in Oregon, but the gun control debate is now focused on whether gun-free zones made it worse.

Police have released the audio released after the shooting at an Oregon elementary school

A deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, left three students and a teacher dead before a gunman shot and killed the gunman. Sara Elgre provides updates from the scene.

Democrats have renewed calls for stricter gun laws after three children and a teacher were killed in a school shooting in Oregon, but gun rights advocates say the circumstances of the attack strengthen their position against new restrictions.

The teenage shooter was reportedly armed with a shotgun purchased by his mother before an armed father of two, Kaylub Giamanco, chased him into Silver Rail Elementary School and shot him dead. Proponents of the Second Amendment argue that additional gun restrictions cannot stop a killer and can make it more difficult for armed civilians like Giamanco to intervene.

"But more gun control is not the answer. The school was a gun-free zone and the killer did not use a so-called 'assault weapon.' What stopped a mass murderer and saved lives was a well-aimed armed bystander."

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Gun rights researcher John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), argued separately that gun restrictions could leave potential victims defenseless.

Lott pointed to CPRC research that looked at active shootings from 2014 to 2024, which he said legally found armed civilians stopped more attacks than police.

The National Rifle Association similarly questioned whether the new restrictions would change the outcome.

"The armed bystander who chased the shooter inside and ended the threat is the starkest reminder that when seconds count, a prepared law-abiding citizen can stop a killer."

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., was among lawmakers calling for action after the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, where the Bend-LaPine school policy prohibits firearms, including concealed carry.

"The best way to honor these victims is to finally pass gun laws that reduce the risks of more children, parents, teachers and staff having to live in fear of similar nightmares for their schools," Wyden said in a statement.

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Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., whose district includes Bend, also called for action while acknowledging the intervention of armed bystanders.

"When are we going to practice the same courage that spectator had?" Bynum asked during the vigil after urging action to keep guns away from people who shouldn't have them.

Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed, DRI, also cited the shooting, calling for additional gun laws and urging the Supreme Court to reverse course.

"It's long past time for the Roberts court to clarify that their decision on guns does not endorse unrestricted, unconstitutional access," Reid said.

In the absence of a Supreme Court halting pro-gun rulings, Republicans must join Democrats in adopting common sense policies that can prevent these types of tragedies.

The Roberts Court overruled subsequent gun rights rulings, including District of Columbia v. Heller, which struck down the District of Columbia's handgun ban in 2008, and the New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. v. Bruen, which overruled New York's requirement that applicants demonstrate a special need to obtain a permit to carry a handgun in public.

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The political conflict is unfolding as investigators look into how the teenage gunman got access to his mother's shotgun, a key question in determining whether existing or proposed gun laws could make a difference.

In response to a specific question about universal background checks and red flag laws, the NRA argued that neither would have likely prevented the shooting, citing initial reports that the teenager had obtained a gun from a family member.

Background checks generally apply to the transfer of a firearm, not unauthorized access to a firearm already owned by someone else, the agency noted. It also argues that the red flag order was likely ineffective, although the circumstances of the teenager's access to the shotgun remain unclear.

Lott also pointed to a 2021 change in Oregon law that allowed for different school districts, arguing that such restrictions could make schools more vulnerable.

Before the change, Oregon teachers with a concealed carry permit generally could carry guns in schools, though some districts imposed job restrictions, Lott said. He estimated that roughly 25 of the state's 197 school districts have since adopted bans.

"All of the school shootings where someone has been injured or killed have occurred in places where people, teachers and staff are prohibited from possessing guns," Lott said, citing CPRC research.

Lott said his organization will update the research through 2025. He also argued that school resource officers face a tactical disadvantage because attackers can spot them, avoid them or target them first.

"Having someone in uniform is like having a neon sign over their head that says, 'Shoot me first,'" Lott said.

Lott also questioned whether punishment for violating gun-free zone restrictions would deter someone who already faces multiple life sentences for murder.

"They could be facing six or seven life sentences [for murder and the like]," he said.

The NRA also cited research findings showing that 94% of mass shootings since 1950 have occurred in gun-free zones, which echoes Lott's argument.

"Law-abiding Americans have the right to defend themselves and their communities instead of relying solely on a label or label. The tragedy in the paragraph is a prime example of how an armed citizen who is ready and willing to take action can stop an attacker and save lives. An NRA spokesperson said policies that disarm officers near schools make those places more vulnerable, not safer.

Lott argued that gun-free zone restrictions could work to the detriment of legal gun owners without meaningfully preventing planned mass shootings.

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