Oregon School Shooting Staffer Speaks Out: 'It All Happened So Fast'

Cassidy Schutz, a learning specialist at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, has spoken out for the first time since confronting the gunman during a school shooting earlier this month. Schutz was the staffer who threw her phone at the shooter and tackled him, an action that law enforcement officials believe helped prevent further bloodshed.

"It all happened so fast, and I wish with everything in me that we had more time," Schutz said in a statement released by Bend-La Pine Schools. "The pain of this loss I will carry with me forever."

On Oct. 15, the gunman entered a special needs classroom at Silver Rail Elementary, fatally shooting three students and a teacher. Another student and teacher sustained injuries. Schutz was unharmed during the incident.

Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz had previously commended Schutz's actions, stating that her efforts to disarm the shooter "almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed." Kaylub Giamanco, the parent who ultimately shot and killed the 16-year-old gunman, also expressed gratitude for Schutz's intervention, noting that she allowed him the opportunity to act without sustaining harm himself.

"I would love to give her a hug because that's a real true hero," Giamanco told Oregon Public Broadcasting last week.

Schutz added, "My thoughts are with those who were lost, their families, those who were hurt, and those who were there that day. My heart is with you." She continued, "There are no words for this unimaginable reality we are facing. My focus is on these families, our team, our school, and my own healing."