Becky Drury Bend school shooting account, released in a statement Wednesday while she remains hospitalized, describes a brief and violent sequence inside Silver Rail elementary in Bend, Oregon, that left her badly wounded and unable to intervene. Drury, 54, said she was shot at close range before she could act, and that she pretended to be dead in the hope of avoiding further gunfire.
What Drury says happened
Drury recalled noticing something happening outside and running to see what it was. When she saw the shooter, she turned back toward her classroom. She tried to shut the door, but the attacker was already there. She was shot at close range and fell.
The injuries were severe. Drury said her left hand was almost completely severed and her other arm was badly hurt. She could not get up, could not defend herself, and could not protect anyone. Lying on the ground, she chose to feign death, hoping the shooter would not fire at her again.
Her statement directly addresses conflicting public accounts. Drury said reporting had circulated suggesting she shielded a student. That is not what happened, according to her account: she was shot before she had any chance to act. She said she wanted the events and her own actions reported accurately.
She also described the violence as unimaginable and said her heart was broken for everyone affected.
The attack and the victims
Griffin J John II, 16, a former student at the school, arrived armed with a shotgun and headed toward a special education classroom. He shot six people in all. Four were killed: Megan Lambert, a 25-year-old teacher, and three children. One of the children was Rhoam Summer, 5. Two other boys were also killed. Saylor Graham, 7, was wounded.
Two people intervened. Another teacher threw a phone at John and tackled him. A parent then fatally shot the teenager.
Bend police said the shotgun used in the attack had been purchased legally. The investigation is ongoing. The brief does not identify the teacher who tackled the shooter or the parent who fired the fatal shot, and it does not address a possible motive or how John obtained the weapon.
Schools reopen as the inquiry continues
Bend public schools began reopening this week. Dozens of officers were on hand to welcome returning students.
Drury’s statement came while she was still receiving hospital care. She remains hospitalized, and her account now stands as the most detailed public description of what she experienced inside the school.
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