Teacher wounded in Oregon school shooting says she could not protect students
A teacher injured during last week's attack at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, said she had no opportunity to shield children, correcting earlier reports about her actions.
A teacher who was shot while trying to intervene in the attack on a special-education classroom at Silver Rail Elementary said she never had a chance to protect the children inside. Becky Drury, who was wounded on Thursday, told a family friend that she entered the hallway, saw the shooter and rushed back to the classroom, but the gunman was already there.
"I turned to shut the door behind me, but the shooter was already there. Before I could do anything more, he shot me at close range and I fell to the ground," Drury said.
She added that after being hit in both arms, she pretended to be dead in hopes the shooter would not fire again. The incident left three children aged 5, 8 and 11 and a teacher dead, with another student critically injured.
Police identified the 16-year-old former student, Griffin J. John II, as the gunman. He entered the locked classroom with a legally purchased pump-action shotgun, which investigators say was bought by his mother, according to a law-enforcement source.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the department is still determining how the weapon reached the shooter. Another teacher reportedly threw her phone at the attacker and tackled him, actions that may have prevented further casualties before the shooter was shot by a father who entered the building.
Drury, who remains hospitalized, disputed earlier media claims that she had thrown herself on a student. She emphasized the need for accurate reporting.
"Accurate, respectful reporting is a truly important service that will help heal the wounds inflicted by that awful day," she said.
The school district closed all schools after the shooting and reopened them on Wednesday, except for Silver Rail, which stayed closed. Superintendent Steven Cook noted that many families are still processing the event.
"We do have some families that are still not ready yet, and we most certainly have some Silver Rail families that are still going through a lot of processes," Cook said.
Police continue to investigate, including executing search warrants at the shooter’s home and on his electronic devices.