Becky Drury, a teacher wounded in the attack at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, says she had no chance to shelter the children before she was shot. Her statement corrects reports that she threw herself over a student and describes how the attacker reached the classroom door as she tried to close it. Three children and a teacher were killed, and another student was critically injured. Schools in the district reopened Wednesday with dozens of officers at each school, while police continued investigating and serving search warrants. Authorities confirmed the shotgun was legally purchased but said they are still examining how the teenager obtained it.
TLDR: Becky Drury says she was shot before she could shelter children during the attack at Silver Rail Elementary, correcting reports about her actions. Schools have reopened with officers present, and police continue to investigate how the teenager obtained the legally purchased shotgun.
Becky Drury, a teacher wounded in last week’s attack on a special education classroom at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, says she had no chance to shelter the children. In a statement issued Wednesday by a family friend, Drury described turning back toward the classroom after seeing the shooter. She said he was already at the door and shot her before she could do anything more.
Drury said her left hand was nearly severed and her right arm was also struck. Unable to get up or defend herself or others, she pretended to be dead in the hope that the shooter would not fire again. She remains hospitalized.
The account provides no official rationale for a new policy or policy change. Drury said she wanted to correct reports that had suggested she threw herself on top of a student. She described accurate and respectful reporting as important to helping heal the wounds left by the attack.
Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher were killed in the attack last Thursday. Another student was critically injured. Authorities said the attacker, 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, was a former student at the school and forced his way through locked doors with a shotgun before attacking the classroom.
Drury said she ran to find out what was happening after realizing something was wrong, then immediately saw the shooter and rushed back to the classroom. As she tried to close the door, he was already there. She was shot at close range and fell to the ground, ending any chance she had to act on behalf of the children, according to her account.
Her statement also clarifies the distinction between her actions and those of another teacher. Authorities said that teacher threw her phone at the gunman, tackled him and wrestled with him for control of the weapon. They said the intervention likely saved lives. A father who followed the gunman into the building then shot him, according to the account provided by authorities.
The clarification matters because earlier news reports had described Drury as throwing herself over a student. Drury’s statement says that did not happen. It instead describes a teacher wounded before she could shut the door or take another action to protect the children.
Drury’s account focuses on the moments when she saw the gunman and tried to return to the classroom. It does not describe a chance to confront him or move the children to safety. Her stated purpose in correcting the earlier reports was to make clear what she did and did not do during the attack.
The details place the attack in a setting where locked doors did not prevent the gunman from entering the classroom area. The excerpt does not provide further information about the school’s security procedures or explain how the doors were breached beyond saying that the attacker blasted his way through them with a shotgun. It also gives no account of any changes to school safety rules after the attack.
The Bend school district reopened Wednesday for the first time since the shooting. Dozens of officers were present at each school to welcome children back, the Bend Police Department said. The excerpt does not identify a cost for that police presence or describe paperwork, new compliance requirements, or a deadline for schools or families.
Police said the investigation continues. The department said officers had served search warrants at the attacker’s home and on his electronic devices and social media accounts across a variety of platforms. Those warrants and searches are investigative steps; the excerpt does not specify additional enforcement measures, a schedule for completing the investigation, or a public reporting deadline.
Police confirmed that the pump-action shotgun used in the attack had been legally purchased. The Associated Press previously reported, citing a law enforcement source not authorized to discuss the investigation, that the suspect’s mother purchased it. Investigators said they were still examining how the boy obtained the gun, so that part of the account remains unresolved.
The practical impact described so far is immediate but limited: schools reopened with dozens of officers present at each site, while police continue searches under warrants and investigate how the teenager obtained a legally purchased shotgun. No new fees, forms, school mandates, or compliance deadlines appear in the available account. The necessary next steps are the continuing investigation and any further findings from authorities; oversight will depend on information they release as the work proceeds.
Greg Sanders serves as the Senior Correspondent for Corporate Power and Antitrust at Just Right News, where he brings a principled, conservative perspective to the complex intersection of big business, government regulation, and the American consumer. With a career dedicated to investigative depth and economic clarity, Greg has become a leading voice in examining how the consolidation of industry power impacts the foundational values of the free market and individual liberty.
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Greg’s reporting is deeply informed by the Western spirit of independence and a healthy skepticism of centralized authority. Growing up in the shadows of the Rockies, he witnessed firsthand the importance of local entrepreneurship and the vital role that small-medium enterprises play in sustaining vibrant communities. This upbringing instilled in him a belief that the American Dream is best preserved when the playing field remains level and when competition—rather than backroom deals between corporate lobbyists and federal regulators—dictates success. For Greg, the rugged individualism of his home state serves as a constant reminder that the economy should serve the people, not the other way around.
Now based in Chicago, Illinois, Greg operates from the heart of the nation’s industrial and financial crossroads. His location in the Midwest provides him with a unique vantage point to observe the real-world consequences of corporate overreach. From the boardrooms of the Loop to the manufacturing hubs that define the region, he tracks the movement of capital and the shifting tides of market influence. Chicago’s history as a center of trade and labor offers a rich backdrop for his work, allowing him to bridge the gap between high-level economic theory and the lived experiences of hardworking Americans who feel the squeeze of monopolistic practices.
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This mission is most clearly seen in his acclaimed feature series, “The Titans and the Toll.” In this ongoing project, Greg explores the human cost of market consolidation, from the erosion of consumer choice to the decline of local economies. Through rigorous analysis and boots-on-the-ground reporting, he documents how the concentration of power in sectors like tech, agriculture, and finance creates a “toll” paid by the average family.
Greg Sanders remains committed to the idea that a transparent, competitive market is the greatest engine for prosperity ever devised. Through his work at Just Right News, he continues to provide the essential oversight necessary to protect that engine from the encroaching influence of corporate giants and the bureaucratic structures that enable them.