Oregon Teacher Who Threw Her Phone at School Shooter and Wrestled Him for His Gun Breaks Her Silence: ‘It All Happened So Fast’

Cassidy Schutz risked her life trying to stop a teenage gunman inside Silver Rail Elementary School. The attack claimed the lives of three children and a fellow teacher, and she says the pain of that day will stay with her forever.

An Oregon elementary school educator who courageously confronted a teenage gunman during a deadly school shooting has spoken publicly for the first time. Cassidy Schutz, a certified learning specialist at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, revealed that the terrifying events unfolded so quickly that she barely had time to process what was happening. Her actions that day included throwing her cellphone at the attacker before physically tackling him and fighting to take control of his firearm.

The shooting took place on October 15, 2026, when 16-year-old Griffin John II entered Silver Rail Elementary School carrying a shotgun. According to police, he forced his way through glass doors and opened fire inside a special education classroom. Three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, were killed, along with 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert. A 7-year-old student and a 54-year-old teacher were also critically injured. The attack devastated the school community and left families facing an unimaginable loss.

As the gunman continued his attack, Schutz made a split-second decision to fight back. Police said she threw her cellphone at him, then tackled him and struggled to take away his weapon. She was not injured during the confrontation. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz later praised her actions, saying she almost certainly helped prevent further bloodshed. Her intervention took place during a chaotic and dangerous moment, when every second mattered.

Another person also intervened. Kaylub Giamanco, a 36-year-old father whose two daughters attended the school, had witnessed the gunman shooting at a vehicle outside the campus. He followed the teenager into the building after retrieving a legally stored handgun from his vehicle. Inside, he saw Schutz struggling with the shooter and fired several times, killing the 16-year-old. Police credited both Schutz and Giamanco with helping stop the attack and potentially saving additional lives.

On October 30, Schutz released a statement through the Bend-La Pine School District, describing the incident as a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy. “It all happened so fast, and I wish with everything in me that we had more time,” she said. She added that the pain of the loss was something she would carry with her forever. Her thoughts, she explained, were with those who died, their families, those who were injured and everyone who witnessed the violence.

Schutz also made clear that she did not want public attention to overshadow the victims and their loved ones. She said her focus was on the affected families, the school community, her colleagues and her own healing. Calling the experience an unimaginable reality, she asked for time, space and privacy, and said she would not be making further public statements.

The tragedy has left lasting scars on Bend, a community now mourning the children and educator who never made it home. For Schutz, being called a hero does not erase what happened inside that classroom. Her words reflect the grief of someone who acted in the middle of a crisis but still has to live with the loss of those she was trying to protect. While her quick response may have prevented even more deaths, the lives lost that day remain at the center of this heartbreaking story.

Source: PEOPLE