Middle School Teacher, David Benke used to tell his students that if anything ever happened to him, he wanted to be able to “do something about it.”
That remark became a reality when he saw a man shooting at students when they were leaving their Littleton, Colorado School on Tuesday, February 22nd. “What was going through my mind,” Benke said, “was that I promised.” Benke ran toward the gunman, who had already shot and wounded two students, and tackled him. With the help of another teacher and some bus drivers, was able to hold him until the police arrived.
Benke told reporters that he was late in preventing him before he shot the second student. He had noticed the gunman had a bolt-action rifle, and realized he had to get to him before he could chamber another round. The authorities identified the suspect as Bruce Eastwood, 32.
Eastwood, police learned had been a student at the school in the 1990’s, and would be charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Eastwood’s father told authorities his son who was an unemployed ranch hand, had been struggling with mental illness, and has a record back to 1996 for assault, menacing, and domestic violence.
Both of the students shot were eighth graders. The girl was treated and released from the hospital, but the boy was in serious condition at Children’s Hospital and recovering from a fractured rib and lung injury.
Deer Creek Middle School is two miles from Columbine High School, site of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history where 12 students and one teacher were killed in 1999. However, since that tragic incident of Columbine, Deer Creek School and others have practiced emergency drills. So David Benke often thought about what he would do if a shooting broke out in their school. School officials and colleagues praised David Benke’s quick action.
He has since become a real hero to his students and fellow teachers. A Facebook page called him a Hero!!, and quickly grew to more than 17,000 members. His actions were even discussed on the floor of the Senate.
Benke is a father of seven year old twins and a thirteen year old girl. David Benke is a 6’5 former college basketball player and coaches the school’s track team. He felt very strong about keeping his students safe. He fought back tears after Jefferson County Sheriff; Ted Mink thanked him on Tuesday. “He stopped what could have been a more tragic event than it was”. Mink said. Yes, David Benke was definitely a hero, as it could have been another Columbine.
Helen L. Price
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