A teacher who survived last week’s deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, has spoken out about the terrifying moments before she was struck by gunfire at close range.
Becky Drury said she heard a commotion outside her classroom and went to investigate. When she spotted the gunman, she turned and ran back inside, attempting to pull the door shut behind her. “The shooter was already there,” she said in a written statement released Wednesday.
Drury said the gunshot left her left hand nearly severed and her other arm severely wounded. Unable to move or defend herself, she made the split-second decision to lie still on the floor and pretend to be dead in hopes the attacker would not fire again.
The rampage unfolded around 1 p.m. last Thursday and left four people dead, including three children aged 5, 8, and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher identified as Megan Lambert. A 5-year-old girl named Rhoam Summer was also publicly identified as one of the victims.
The gunman, identified as a 16-year-old named John Griffin II, was shot and killed by a bystander who witnessed him fire at a truck before entering the school. Police said that bystander followed the teenager inside and shot him as another teacher was physically struggling with him over the weapon.
Investigators are examining whether the shooter consumed extremist content online, including material linked to what law enforcement describes as nihilistic violent extremism. Bend police said Wednesday that search warrants have been executed at the suspect’s home and on his electronic devices and social media accounts across multiple platforms.
The shotgun used in the attack was a legally purchased Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge. Two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that the shooter’s mother bought the weapon in August, around the time of his birthday. Police have not officially confirmed who made the purchase.
Drury said she believes she did everything she could in the moment. “I was shot before I had any chance to act” she said in her statement. She expressed grief for those killed and injured and thanked the community for its outpouring of support.
Students in the Bend-La Pine Schools district returned to classrooms Wednesday, though Silver Rail Elementary remained closed. The district said students were welcomed back with artwork and messages of encouragement as the community begins the difficult process of healing.