Hero teacher who tackled Bend gunman speaks out as community prepares to reopen school

By Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN

(CNN) — A teacher hailed as a hero for her quick action to help stop the gunman who carried out the school shooting in Bend, Oregon, last month is speaking out about her experience as the community prepares to send its children back to the school.

“It all happened so fast, and I wish with everything in me that we had more time,” Cassidy Schutz, a certified learning specialist at Silver Rail Elementary, said in a statement Friday.

After the shooting, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz described an unnamed teacher’s “heroic action” to stop the gunman who opened fire in a special needs classroom, killing three students and a teacher.

She threw her cellphone at the gunman and tackled him to try to get the gun away before a parent at the school fatally shot him, Krantz said.

Her quick action “almost certainly helped prevent more bloodshed,” the chief said.

More than a week after the tragedy, Schutz came forward to address the incident in a statement released by the Bend-La Pine school district.

“There are no words to describe the depth of sadness I am feeling following the events of October 15th,” Schutz said in the statement. “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.”

Another student and teacher were also injured during the attack. Schutz was uninjured, according to police.

Schutz emphasized the “horrific and heartbreaking tragedy” is more than just a story for those who are living it and requested privacy as she navigates the aftermath.

“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,” she said.

The father who helped stop the attack, Kaylub Giamanco, was carrying a legally secured .40-caliber pistol when he saw the gunman and followed him into the school.

In an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, Giamanco said he was grateful to Schutz – whose name he still did not know at the time – for her brave action in the moments before he shot the gunman.

“I would love to give her a hug because that’s a real true hero,” he said.

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook expressed gratitude for both Giamanco and Schutz after the shooting.

“I believe your actions saved lives,” Cook said.

Returning to the school

Now the community faces the daunting task of returning to normal life in a setting marred by inexplicable violence.

While other schools in the Bend-La Pine district returned to learning the week following the shooting, Silver Rail Elementary remains closed through November 6, pending repairs to the areas impacted by the shooting.

“With an overwhelming 86.2% of families indicating a preference to return to Silver Rail Elementary, we plan to reopen Silver Rail for students and families who feel ready to return,” the district said in a statement last week.

A police officer was present at each school in the district the day they reopened, and a team of eight school resource officers will continue to rotate between the schools, Bend-La Pine Schools said.

A community meeting is planned for November 5, where school officials will take questions about the shooting, school safety and reopening plans.

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