Bend, Oregon — Teacher Recounts Playing Dead After Being Shot

A teacher wounded in the Oct. 22 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, said she was shot before she had any chance to intervene, then pretended to be dead so the gunman would not fire again, according to a statement released Wednesday and reported by The Guardian.

What does Becky Drury say happened to her?

Becky Drury, 54, said she heard something happening outside her classroom and went to check. When she saw the shooter, she ran back inside and tried to shut the door, but he was already there. "Before I could do anything more, he shot me at close range and I fell to the ground," Drury said, according to her statement cited by the Guardian. She said her left hand was almost completely severed and her other arm was badly injured, leaving her unable to stand, defend herself, or protect anyone else.

Why did Drury say she played dead?

"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 said. She added that she wanted to correct "contradictory reporting" suggesting she had thrown herself on top of a student to shield the child. "The truth is I was shot before I had any chance to act," she said, per the Guardian's account. Drury remains hospitalized.

How many people were shot, and who died?

The shooter, identified as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former student at the school, entered Silver Rail Elementary armed with a shotgun and headed toward a special education classroom, the Guardian reported. He shot six people in total. Killed were Megan Lambert, a 25-year-old teacher, and three children, including 5-year-old Rhoam Summer. Drury and a 7-year-old student, Saylor Graham, were also shot and wounded.

How was the shooter stopped?

According to the Guardian's reporting, another teacher at the school threw her phone at John and tackled him during the attack. A parent then fatally shot the 16-year-old gunman, ending the assault. The bystander who killed the shooter has been identified separately as the father of girls who attend the elementary school, the Guardian noted in related coverage.

What happens next for Drury and the Bend community?

Drury's statement does not detail a timeline for her recovery or discharge from the hospital. The Guardian reported separately that the town of Bend is mourning the four victims, with residents saying they "can't stop thinking about the kids." No additional details on charges, investigations, or school reopening plans were included in Drury's statement or the Guardian's report.

"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." — Becky Drury

Drury's account, released through a statement rather than an interview, is presented as an effort to set the record straight on what occurred in the seconds after she was shot, distinct from earlier reporting about her actions during the attack.