An Oregon educator who physically intervened against an armed intruder during a deadly mass shooting at a Bend elementary school released her first public statement Friday, recounting the sudden violence and offering condolences to grieving families.
Cassidy Schutz, a 28-year-old certified learning specialist at Silver Rail Elementary School, was identified by the Bend-La Pine School District as the staff member who confronted the shooter on Oct. 15. The rampage inside a special education classroom left three young students and an educator dead, while two others were wounded.
Educator Laments ‘Unimaginable Reality’
In her statement, issued two weeks after the attack, Schutz described the profound emotional toll of surviving the encounter and losing members of her school community.
“There are no words to describe the depth of sadness I am feeling following the events of October 15th. This is not a story. This is a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy, and it is our real lives,” Schutz said. “My thoughts are with those who were lost, their families, those who were hurt, and those who were there that day. My heart is with you.”
Schutz noted how rapidly the events unfolded before intervention was possible. “It all happened so fast, and I wish with everything in me that we had more time,” she said. “The pain of this loss I will carry with me forever. There are no words for this unimaginable reality we are facing. My focus is on these families, our team, our school, and my own healing.”
Confrontation Inside the Classroom
According to police accounts, the 16-year-old gunman entered the specialized classroom where he had once been enrolled and discharged at least 15 rounds from a shotgun. Schutz hurled her mobile phone at the intruder and tackled him, fighting to wrest the weapon from his hands.
Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz stated in a press briefing following the incident that Schutz emerged without physical injuries and that her intervention “almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed.”
While Schutz struggled with the assailant, Kaylub Giamanco, an armed father who noticed the suspect and pursued him into the building, entered the room with a .40-caliber handgun. Giamanco fired his weapon, fatally striking the shooter and ending the attack.
“I would love to give her a hug because that’s a real true hero,” Giamanco told Oregon Public Broadcasting in an interview after the event, adding that Schutz’s actions created the opening he needed to intervene safely.
Community Mourns Victims as Investigation Continues
The attack claimed the lives of four individuals in the classroom. Authorities confirmed the deaths of 5-year-old student Rhoam Summer and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert, who was also widely recognized as a dedicated volleyball coach. Two other male students, ages 8 and 11, were killed, though their names have not been publicly disclosed.
Two additional victims continue their physical recovery after sustaining critical injuries in the gunfire:
- Becky Drury, a 54-year-old teacher, has undergone surgical procedures after sustaining extensive traumatic damage that nearly severed her hand.
- Saylor Graham-Poarch, a 7-year-old student struck in the face, was recently transferred out of an intensive care unit.
Local law enforcement authorities have not released a definitive motive for the assault, and an official investigation remains ongoing. In the statement released by district administrators, Schutz asked the public and media organizations to respect the privacy of survivors and the affected families as they navigate the grieving process.
