A teacher critically injured in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, said she played dead after being shot in her classroom. The attack last week left four dead, including a teacher and three students.
Becky Drury, 54, a teacher in a special needs classroom, released a statement detailing her experience. She said she ran to investigate a commotion, then immediately returned to her classroom when she saw the shooter. "Before I could do anything more, he shot me at close range and I fell to the ground," Drury stated. "I could not get up, defend myself, or protect anyone else, 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."
Drury, who said her left hand was almost completely severed and her right arm severely injured, wished to clarify her actions during the event. "I know there has been contradictory reporting about my actions that day, but the truth is I was shot before I had any chance to act," she said, without specifying the reports she was referring to.
An uninjured teacher also intervened during the shooting by throwing her cellphone at the gunman before tackling him and attempting to disarm him, according to police. The 16-year-old suspected shooter was killed by the father of two students who entered the school after witnessing shots fired at a truck outside.
Three boys, ages 5, 8, and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher died in the incident. The firearm used in the shooting was legally purchased, police have confirmed. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with authorities serving search warrants on the suspect's home and electronic devices.
Schools in the district reopened Wednesday with an increased police presence, aiming to help students and staff feel more comfortable during a difficult time.