Oregon teacher wounded in Bend school shooting says she was shot before she could act

Becky Drury, 54, a teacher wounded in the Oct. 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, said in a statement on Wednesday that the gunman shot her before she had "any chance to act." The New York Post said it obtained the statement through KPTV. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]

Drury wrote that she ran to see what was happening outside her classroom and spotted the shooter. "I turned to shut the door behind me, but the shooter was already there," she wrote. "Before I could do anything more, he shot me at close range and I fell to the ground." She said she saw that her left hand was almost completely severed and her other arm was also severely injured. She said she could not get up, defend herself or protect anyone else, so she pretended to be dead in the hope he would not shoot her again. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]

Drury said she was sharing her account because she wanted the events of that day, and her actions in particular, to be reported accurately. "I know there has been contradictory reporting about my actions that day, but the truth is I was shot before I had any chance to act," she wrote. CBS News said she suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, while the New York Post described her as critically injured. [ 1 , 3 ]

Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher were killed, and a 7-year-old student was seriously wounded. The attack began around 1 p.m., officials said. CBS News named the suspect as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former student at the school, and said police reported that he shot through the school's locked doors before entering a special needs classroom and opening fire. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]

According to CBS News, citing police, the gunman was tackled by another teacher and fatally shot by an armed bystander, 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, who followed him into the school. NBC News, citing police, said the bystander saw the gunman fire at a truck and enter the school, then shot him as another teacher was wrestling with him over the weapon. [ 1 , 4 ]

NBC News reported that the motive remained under investigation on Wednesday. Two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that investigators are looking into whether the shooter viewed extremist material online, including material associated with "nihilistic violent extremism." Bend police said the gun was purchased legally and that detectives had served search warrants at the suspect's home, on his electronic devices and on his social media accounts. Police said the weapon was a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun and that the shooter used birdshot, buckshot and slugs. Police have not said who purchased the gun, although the two officials previously told NBC News that the shooter's mother bought it in August. [ 4 ]