After her actions were credited with helping to avert further tragedy, a teacher at the Silver Rail Elementary School broke her silence with an official statement.
Beyond the narrative-nudging headlines typical of activists unwilling to address the root causes of firearm-related deaths, there remains the still fresh and ever-present reality that must be endured by those who lived through it and were directly impacted by it. That is precisely what Bend, Oregon’s Cassidy Schutz spoke to as she released a statement on the killing of three children and a teacher that noted: “it is our real lives.”
Published on the Bend-La Pine Schools website along with an announcement about an upcoming meeting, the certified learning specialist’s statement began, “There are no words to describe the depth of sadness I am feeling following the events of October 15th. this is not a story. This is a horrific and heartbreaking tragedy, and it is our real lives.”
“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,” Schutz continued. “It all happened so fast, and I wish with everything in me that we had more time. The pain of this loss I will carry with me forever.”
View this post on Instagram
As had been reported, on October 15th, a 16-year-old who previously attended the school first fired at a pickup truck before scaling a fence, shooting open a door and entering the building where he targeted the special education classroom where he once was taught.
It was there that the killer fatally shot 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert and three children, aged five, eight, and 11 years old. He also shot and wounded another teacher and a seven-year-old girl.
When Kaylub Giamanco, the hero father who followed the killer into the school and permanently neutralized the threat, broke his own silence on the tragedy and recounted the events that placed him in the right spot to make the decision to act, he hailed Schutz as “a real true hero” for engaging with the shotgun-wielding 16-year-old and giving him the chance to act without losing his own life.
Haunted and heroic: Girl-dad who neutralized Oregon school shooter tells his story for first time https://t.co/SRICB4qv2S via @BIZPACReview
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) October 24, 2026
Continuing her statement, Schutz remarked, “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.”
“As I continue to navigate this, I ask that you please give me the time, space, and privacy I need to heal,” she concluded. “I will not be making any additional public statements at this time.”
Her statement came along with the district’s details about a planned community engagement session slated for November 5. Set to be livestreamed and open to the media, representatives of the Bend Police Department and the National Mass Violence Center are slated to attend to answer questions.
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- MAGA influencers react to Democratic election victories — one asks, ‘What in the absolute f— is happening?’ - November 4, 2026
- Trump blames Fox News for GOP election losses — then calls into the network to confront its coverage - November 4, 2026
- Democrats capture House and Senate in sweeping midterm victory — Trump’s endorsed candidates suffer losses - November 4, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.