Oregon Teacher Describes Playing Dead After Being Shot in School Attack
Injured educator Becky Drury recounts the harrowing moments she feigned death to survive a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School.
Oregon elementary school teacher Becky Drury, 54, has recounted the terrifying moments she pretended to be dead after being shot at close range during a massacre at Silver Rail Elementary School. The attack, which occurred on October 15, resulted in the deaths of three students and another teacher.
Drury sustained severe injuries to her left hand, which was nearly severed, and her other arm was also wounded. She described lying on the classroom floor, unable to move or defend herself, after the 16-year-old gunman, identified as Griffin J. John II, opened fire. The former student had fired through the school's entrance doors before entering the building and proceeding to a special needs classroom.
"I did the only thing I could do, which was to pretend to be dead in the hope he would not shoot me again," Drury stated in a public address on Wednesday. She explained that she had gone to investigate a disturbance outside her classroom, only to encounter the shooter as she turned to close the door.
Drury emphasized that she was shot before she had any opportunity to react or intervene. Lying incapacitated on the floor, she realized the severity of her injuries, with her left hand almost completely severed and her other arm badly hurt. Her decision to remain motionless was a desperate bid for survival.
"I could not get up, defend myself, or protect anyone else," she said. "So, I did the only thing I could do, which was to pretend to be dead in the hope he would not shoot me again."
Doctors have described Drury's condition as serious but not life-threatening. She felt compelled to speak out to ensure an accurate account of the events and her actions during the shooting, citing contradictory reports.
"I want to make sure the events of that day and my actions in particular are reported accurately," she explained. "The truth is I was shot before I had any chance to act."
Drury expressed her heartbreak for all those affected by the tragedy, extending her thoughts to the victims, their families, and the wider Bend community. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist with her medical expenses.
The victims of the shooting included three children, aged five, eight, and eleven, and a 25-year-old teacher. A seven-year-old student was also seriously injured. The rampage concluded when an armed bystander, Kaylub Giamanco, confronted and fatally shot the gunman.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive for the attack. Drury concluded her statement by urging the media to utilize trusted voices and to report respectfully to aid in the community's healing process.
