In a statement Wednesday, Drury recalled running to see what was happening outside her classroom at Silver Rail Elementary School before spotting the shooter.
“I turned to shut the door behind me, but the shooter was already there,” Drury said. “Before I could do anything more, he shot me at close range and I fell to the ground.”
“Lying on the floor, I saw that my left hand was almost completely severed from the gunshot, and my other arm was also severely injured,” she continued. “I could not get up, defend myself, or protect anyone else. So, I did the only thing I could do, which was to pretend to be dead in the hope he would not shoot me again.”
Drury suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries from the Oct. 15 shooting that left three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a 25-year-old teacher dead. Another student, a 7-year-old, was also seriously wounded.
The suspect was identified as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former student at the school. Police said the suspect shot through the school’s locked doors before entering a special needs classroom and opening fire.
The gunman was fatally shot by an armed bystander, 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, who followed him into the school, according to police. A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
Drury said Wednesday she was sharing what happened to her because, “I want to make sure the events of that day and my actions in particular are reported accurately.”
“I know there has been contradictory reporting about my actions that day, but the truth is I was shot before I had any chance to act,” she said.
Drury said her “heart is broken for everyone affected by this tragedy,” while thanking those who have supported her since the shooting.
“What happened in that classroom was unimaginable, and like so many in this community, my heart is broken for everyone affected by this tragedy,” she said.
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