An educator who survived the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School has released her first public statement.
Miah Hergert, an inclusion educational assistant, was with students in the classroom when the shooting occurred, according to the Bend-La Pine Schools.
Hergert released a statement Sunday through the school district.
“No words can ease the pain of such an unimaginable loss. To those families, I hope you all know how deeply your loved ones were cherished and how their love and impact will live on in all of us. I will forever carry their memory with me,” Hergert said in the statement.
On Oct. 15, a 16-year-old armed with a shotgun killed three students and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend before a parent who had followed him onto campus shot and killed him inside a classroom, police said. The suspect was a former student at the school but was not enrolled in the district. Another teacher and a student in the classroom were also injured.
The Bend-La Pine School District announced that school will resume at Silver Rail Elementary school for some students on Nov. 12.
Below is Hergert’s full statement:
“To the Bend community, the families, teachers, and children who have become such a special part of my life, my heart is forever with you.
October 15 changed my life forever. Everything happened so fast, I witnessed both unimaginable darkness and extraordinary love. To the angels who saved my life, thank you. I will carry you in my heart forever. My heart aches for the families who lost their loved ones.
No words can ease the pain of such an unimaginable loss. To those families, I hope you all know how deeply your loved ones were cherished and how their love and impact will live on in all of us. I will forever carry their memory with me.
In less than a year, Bend has become my home. Working with these children has brought back the joy, innocence, and nostalgia of my own childhood. I came here hoping to make a difference in their lives, never realizing how much they would change mine.
I am beyond grateful for the teachers who welcomed me like family, the people who have surrounded me with love, and this community that continues to show up for one another. These children are our light, and I hope to continue growing alongside them.
There is still so much love in this world, and I believe that together, we can find our way forward.”
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
