Injured Bend Teacher Tried to Shut Door, Played Dead in Shooting

A teacher wounded in last Thursday’s school shooting in Bend, Oregon, said she tried to close her classroom door before pretending to be dead, hoping the gunman would not shoot her again.

Becky Drury described the attack in a statement released Wednesday, the same day the Bend Police Department said the firearm used at Silver Rail Elementary had been “purchased legally.” The shooting left three children and one teacher dead.

“Here is what I remember: Once I realized something was happening outside, I ran to see what was going on. I then saw the shooter and immediately ran back into the classroom. I turned to shut the door behind me, but the shooter was already there. Before I could do anything more, he shot me at close range and I fell to the ground,” Drury said.

“Lying on the floor, I saw that my left hand was almost completely severed from the gunshot, and my other arm was also severely injured. I could not get up, defend myself, or protect anyone else,” she said. “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 the violence inside the classroom was “unimaginable” and added that, like many people in Bend, her heart was broken for everyone affected. She said her thoughts were with the injured, those who died, their families, the school and the wider community.

The Bend Police Department said Wednesday that detectives remain engaged in a “complex investigation.”

MORE STORY: NYC Teacher Faces Backlash Over Antisemitic Lionel Messi Meme Post

Investigators have executed search warrants at the suspect’s home and examined his electronic devices and social media accounts across several platforms, police said. “That work continues, and it takes time,” the department said.

Police said a good Samaritan “neutralized” the 16-year-old shooter.

Bend-La Pine Schools began bringing students back to its other campuses Wednesday, following the deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary.

“Heartfelt artwork and messages of love reminded our students and staff that they are surrounded by a community that cares deeply for them,” the school district said.