Oregon Teacher Recounts Playing Dead During School Shooting
An educator injured in a mass shooting at an Oregon elementary school described the harrowing moments she pretended to be dead to survive.
Oregon elementary school teacher Becky Drury, 54, has shared her experience of playing dead after being shot at close range during a mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend. The attack, which occurred on October 15, resulted in the deaths of three children and another teacher.
Drury recounted that she suffered devastating injuries, including her left hand being almost completely severed and another arm being severely wounded. Lying on the classroom floor, unable to move or defend herself, Drury made the decision to remain motionless in the hope that the teenage gunman would believe she was already dead. "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.
The gunman, identified as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, had previously attended the school. He began the attack by firing through the school's entrance doors before entering the building and proceeding to a special needs classroom. Drury stated she was shot at close range as she turned to shut her classroom door, leaving her incapacitated.
Her account aims to correct what she described as inaccurate reporting about her actions during the shooting. "I want to make sure the events of that day and my actions in particular are reported accurately," she explained, emphasizing that the speed of the attack left her no opportunity to intervene before she was wounded.
The massacre claimed the lives of three students, ages five, eight, and eleven, and a 25-year-old teacher, Meghan Lambert. A seven-year-old student was also seriously injured. The community has been left grappling with the tragedy.
The gunman was eventually confronted and killed by an armed bystander, 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, who entered the school after the shooting began. Authorities have not publicly released a motive for the attack.
Drury's injuries are described as serious but not life-threatening. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist with her medical expenses. She expressed her condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and asked for privacy during the recovery process.