Teacher wounded after pretending to be dead as shooter is killed

A 54-year-old teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, was shot while trying to close her special-education classroom door and said she pretended to be dead to avoid being shot again.

The attacker, identified as Griffin J John II, was a 16-year-old former student at the school. The gunman killed three students and a teacher before a parent from the school fatally shot him.

In a statement shared with US media, Becky Drury described collapsing after being shot and realizing her left hand was almost completely severed and her other arm was severely injured, leaving her unable to get up or protect the children in her classroom.

Drury said she went to see what was happening outside the classroom, saw the shooter and attempted to shut the door, but was shot before she could act. She emphasized that contradictory reporting about her actions was inaccurate because she had been shot before having any chance to help others.

Police reported that another teacher attempted to disarm the gunman by throwing her mobile phone and was not injured. A father of two children who followed the suspect into the school then shot and killed the attacker.

The shooting left five-year-old Rhoam Summer, an eight-year-old, an eleven-year-old, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert dead. Drury suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The shooting at Silver Rail Elementary highlights the rapid escalation of violence within a school environment and the fractured moments teachers and parents faced in responding. Becky Drury’s account underscores how quickly an attempt to secure a classroom can be thwarted and how survivors may be forced into desperate actions to survive. The involvement of a parent who ultimately stopped the attacker illustrates both the unpredictability of immediate civilian response and the tragic toll on students and staff.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Becky Drury, a 54-year-old teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School, said she pretended to be dead after being shot while trying to close her classroom door.
• The attacker was identified as 16-year-old Griffin J John II, a former student at the school.
• The shooter killed three students and a teacher before being fatally shot by a parent who followed the suspect into the school.
• Drury sustained severe injuries to her left hand and arm but suffered non–life-threatening harm.
• Police said another teacher attempted to disarm the gunman by throwing her mobile phone and was not injured.