Oregon teacher recounts being shot and feigning death during school attack
Becky Drury, a 54-year-old teacher wounded in the Oct. 15 Oregon school shooting, said she was shot before she could act and pretended to be dead to survive.
In a statement, Becky Drury described how she rushed out of her classroom during the Oct. 15 shooting at an Oregon school, only to be shot before she could respond. The bullet shattered her left hand and badly damaged her other arm, leaving her unable to rise or defend anyone. To avoid further gunfire, she remained motionless, pretending to be dead.
The attack resulted in three children aged 5, 8 and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher being killed, while a 7-year-old student was also seriously injured. Police say the shooter, 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, entered through a locked door and opened fire in a special-needs classroom before being fatally shot by a 36-year-old armed civilian. Motive remains under investigation. Drury shared her account to correct earlier conflicting reports and expressed deep sorrow for the community.
Why it matters
The teacher’s testimony clarifies the shooting’s timeline and highlights the trauma faced by survivors of school gun violence.
How this story developed
- Oct 16 Former student kills four at Oregon elementary, stopped by parent with pistol
- Oct 17 Authorities have publicly identified the shooter as Griffin J. John II and the teacher victim as Megan Lambert.
- Oct 19 A GoFundMe page for Giamanco’s family has raised nearly $280,000 for therapy, legal fees and time off work.
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