School shooting in Bend, Oregon: 4 dead, 2 survivors still hospitalised

A teacher and a 7-year-old girl remain in hospital after a former student killed four people at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon.

Community in mourning after four killed at Oregon elementary school

A special-needs teacher and a 7-year-old girl wounded in Thursday's shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, remained hospitalised on Saturday, AP News reports. Friends described their survival as a source of hope amid widespread grief.

The younger of the two survivors, Saylor Graham, was transferred to a hospital in Portland following the attack. Matt Sampson, executive director of Sparrow Clubs — a volunteer organisation she was part of — said she is "a feisty, vibrant fighter with a sweet nature." Saylor has a genetic disorder, is non-verbal and typically uses a wheelchair, yet Sampson said she needs no words to connect with those around her. "She's just an amazing spirit who just immediately draws people to her," he said. A GoFundMe campaign for her family has raised nearly $400,000.

Teacher Becky Drury, 54, sustained wounds to her arm and hand. Family spokesperson Zack Hall said she is recovering at a Bend hospital and hopes to return home shortly.

Three children and a teacher killed

The attack took place on Thursday when Griffin J. John II, a 16-year-old former student, entered a special-needs classroom at Silver Rail Elementary and opened fire with a shotgun. Three children — aged 5, 8 and 11 — and a teacher were killed. One teacher began struggling with John for the weapon when the father of two students at the school entered and shot the attacker dead. Both were credited with halting the assault and saving lives. Police are continuing to investigate John's motive.

The teacher who died was identified as Megan Lambert, 25. Savannah Patton, a parent whose children attend the school, said Lambert had substituted for her daughter's class the previous year. Patton described her own struggle to respond to her daughter's question: "Mommy, why would someone want to take a gun and kill us at school?" It was, she said, a question she did not know how to answer.

Tributes pour in for slain teacher

Heidi Wood, director of the Central Oregon Volleyball Club where Lambert also coached, paid tribute on social media, calling her "an amazing coach, an amazing teacher and an amazing person who would do anything" for her students. Wood added that Lambert had declined her coaching pay in her first year so the money could fund scholarships for players who could not afford to participate. "That was her, and that is her," Wood said. "We will carry on her love, her passion and we will not let her name be forgotten."

Saylor's story inspired those around her

For several years before the shooting, Saylor had worked alongside students from Bend High School through Sparrow Clubs, whose mission is to empower young people to support peers with medical needs. In a video posted on the organisation's website, Saylor — communicating through a computer tablet and eye contact — described loving the animated series Bluey and spending time with other children. "I prove every day that I'm a fighter who doesn't give up," she wrote. "Living with CASK-related challenges is full of unknowns, which can be very hard and scary for my whole family. But it doesn't keep me from smiling, laughing and living with joy."

Some of the high school students who volunteered alongside her said the experience gave them renewed faith in humanity.

Community gathers at memorial

On Saturday, distraught parents, teachers and residents gathered outside the school to leave flowers, stuffed animals and balloons, and to pray. Devon Johnson, whose husband teaches at Bend High School and who coaches volleyball at High Desert Middle School, stood at the memorial in the morning. "It's just hard to take in," she said. "I'm so glad to see that Bend is rallying and just wrapping their arms around this community, but it's going to take a long time to get through this."

Patton sat on the grass across from the growing memorial and wiped tears from her eyes as she spoke to an AP reporter.

Investigations into the shooting are ongoing.

Source: Google News MT