Silver Rail Shooting: Teacher's Statement Details Struggle With Shooter

Cassidy Schutz, a certified learning specialist at Silver Rail Elementary, has released her first public statement since the school shooting that killed four people on Oct. 15. The remarks, issued Friday through the Bend-La Pine Schools district, offer a brief look at the events from the perspective of the staff member who physically confronted the attacker.

Schutz described the emotional weight of the tragedy in her statement. "There are no words to describe the depth of sadness I am feeling following the events of October 15th," she wrote. "This is not a story. This is a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy, and it is our real lives." She added that her thoughts are with those who were lost, injured, and present that day, noting that "My heart is with you."

Police accounts and witness testimony provide the context for Schutz's actions. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz described her efforts as heroic, detailing how she threw her cell phone at the 16-year-old shooter and tackled him in an attempt to disarm him. That struggle created an opening for Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old bystander, to fatally shoot the attacker. Giamanco told OPB in an Oct. 23 interview that he credited Schutz with giving him the chance to make his shot without losing his own life.

The community continues to process the loss of Megan Lambert, a Silver Rail teacher who died in the attack. Hundreds attended a memorial service for Lambert earlier this week. Another educator, teaching assistant Becky Drury, remains in recovery after being seriously wounded. Drury has undergone four surgeries to reconstruct her arm. Her husband, Will, thanked donors on her GoFundMe page for their generosity and expressed hope that the upcoming procedure would be her final one.

Schutz indicated she is focusing on the families, her school team, and her own recovery. She asked the public to give her time, space, and privacy to heal. "It all happened so fast, and I wish with everything in me that we had more time," she said. She stated she will not be making any additional public statements at this time.

The statement closes with a reflection on the ongoing reality of the loss. "The pain of this loss I will carry with me forever," Schutz wrote. "There are no words for this unimaginable reality we are facing." She identified her current focus as the families, the school team, and her personal healing journey.