DOMINANT ANGLE
Singapore is deciphering the Bend shooting through the American face-off on guns: Trump's praise for the "great hero" with a gun, the NRA on one side, gun control advocates on the other.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Three children, aged 5, 8, and 11, and a teacher were killed on Thursday, October 15, at Silver Rail school in Bend, according to Channel News Asia.
- 02
Trump praised on Friday, October 16, a "great hero": "thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it".
- 03
Kaylub Giamanco, 36, father of two students, holds a concealed carry permit, according to his brother cited by the Straits Times.
ANALYSIS
Singapour, 16 October 2026. The two Singaporean media outlets, the Straits Times and Channel News Asia, are covering the Bend, Oregon shooting through the reaction of Donald Trump and the American debate on guns. The Straits Times, quoting AFP, headlines the "great hero": Kaylub Giamanco, 36, father of two students, was named on Friday, October 16, by his brother. The brother told NBC that he has a concealed carry permit and feels guilty for not saving more people.
The facts are reported in a sober manner. On Thursday, October 15, a 16-year-old shooter, identified by local media as John J. Griffin II, forced locked doors at Silver Rail school and killed three children aged 5, 8, and 11, as well as a teacher. Another child and another teacher are seriously injured. An initial Reuters dispatch, relayed by the Straits Times, indicated that the police arrived on the scene "in a few minutes" and that the shooter fell almost immediately. The school has approximately 450 students and 40 staff members.
Channel News Asia puts the presidential statement at the center: "Fortunately, there was a man who had a gun and knew how to use it," Trump said, judging that the situation could have been "much worse." The site compares these words to a message from the National Rifle Association, which sees in the episode a reminder of "the importance of a law-abiding armed citizenry." In response, the group GIFFORDS, co-founded by former elected official Gabby Giffords, writes that "the gun violence crisis is killing our babies."
The Singaporean press thus inscribes the event in an American political quarrel, between supporters of an armed citizen and defenders of gun regulation. It highlights that firearms are widely available and that gun death rates are among the highest in developed countries. The Straits Times mentions "the epidemic of gun violence" that regularly affects the country's schools.
The local narrative leaves room for the shock of the town, with a population of around 100,000, known for its hiking trails and ski slopes. A 52-year-old resident, Kristen Vanetsky, confides to AFP: "My grandson should be in his class, with all his friends." The shooter's motive is not mentioned in these articles.
