In brief
On 15 October a senior teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, narrowly escaped a mass shooting that claimed the lives of three young students and a colleague. Becky Drury was shot as she tried to shut her classroom door; she pretended to be dead to avoid a second fatal shot. The 16‑year‑old attacker, Griffin J. John II, was later shot multiple times by a parent who confronted him inside the school. Police have not yet identified a motive, noting the gunman’s special‑education background. The community mourns the tragedy while honoring those who intervened.
Some readers may find this article distressing.
On 15 October, a senior teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, narrowly survived a mass shooting that claimed the lives of three young students and another teacher.
Becky Drury, 54, explained that as she tried to shut the classroom door to prevent the assailant—a 16‑year‑old former student—from entering, the gunman fired at her. She fell to the floor, bleeding severely. "I did the only thing I could do, which was to pretend to be dead in the hope he would not shoot me again," she said.
The attacker, identified as Griffin J. John II, killed five‑year‑old Rhoam Summer, eight‑year‑old and eleven‑year‑old students, and teacher Megan Lambert before being shot multiple times by a parent‑guard who confronted the gunman inside the school.
Drury’s statement clarified earlier reports that she had attempted to defend the children. "I was shot before I had any chance to act," she said. While another teacher threw her phone into the gunman’s path and a second educator shielded a student, Drury’s account focuses on her survival tactic.
Police have yet to confirm a motive for the teenager, only noting that he had special‑education needs and attended the school. The community continues to mourn the lives cut short and honor those who played a role in stopping the violence.
