How did David Benke stop the Denver middle school shooting?”
Deer Creek Middle School math teacher David Benke tackled the shooter but couldn’t stop one more shot from being fired, according to his wife, Sandra Benke. David Benke, who has taught at the school for a decade, called his wife to tell her there had been a shooting just after school and that he had tackled the gunman “but the shooter got a shot off and it hit one of his students,” she said. Several witnesses described seeing an adult racing at the gunman after the first shot was fired, and a parent confirmed it was Benke. Authorities have yet to confirm those reports. Benke, who has a doctorate and was a finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year in 1996, told his wife that he was OK. “He wasn’t injured, David is 6-foot-5, thank goodness that he was the guy there,” Sandra said. “He was all calm. Then his voice broke. I was the one who was freaking out. I was just in shock. I’m so relieved that he is OK.
Shooting: Math teacher’s heroics likely saved lives Web Staff KDVR Denver 5:00 AM PST, February 24, 2010 JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. – In a split second, Dr. David Benke went from being a beloved math teacher at Deer Creek Middle School, to a hero. “I had always told my students since Columbine that if anything happened in a school, that I would hope that I would be able to do something,” Benke told FOX31 News Tuesday evening, just hours after he bravely disarmed a gunman who had shot and wounded two students in front of the school. “And that’s what I was thinking about.” Benke’s quick action and bravery are credited with saving countless lives. Authorities say 32-year-old Bruco Strongeagle Eastwood arrived at Deer Creek Middle School just as students were leaving for the day and opened fire with a high-powered hunting rifle. Two students were wounded before Benke tackled the gunman and helped subdue him until police arrived. “I noticed that it was a bolt-action rifle and I knew that after
From NPR: “”Deer Creek Middle School math teacher David Benke was doing parking lot duty (Tuesday) as school was letting out when he heard what he thought were firecrackers,” The Denver Post writes. “It was the sound of gunfire.” What happened then at the suburban Denver school is inspiring. Benke, 57, “tackled a man armed with a high-powered rifle just after two teenage students were shot,” the Associated Press writes, preventing more injuries. Another teacher helped pin the gunman to the ground. The wounded kids are expected to survive.” Go to the site to read more.
