An educator in the classroom where the deadly school shooting in Bend took place has issued a public statement for the first time since the Oct. 15 incident.
“October 15th changed my life forever. Everything happened so fast, I witnessed both unimaginable darkness and extraordinary love,” said Inclusion Educational Assistant Miah Hergert. “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.”
Hergert, who started her position at Silver Rail Elementary School just three months ago, according to her LinkedIn profile, was in the special-needs classroom where a teenager opened fire, killing four people and injuring two others. Parent Kaylub Giamanco, 36, who’d seen the teen enter the school, ended the attack by shooting and killing the 16-year-old.
Hergert’s full statement reads:
“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 15th 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.”
Silver Rail Elementary is set to reopen this week.
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