Alaska Woman Recalls Impact of Surviving 1998 School Shooting in Light of Recent Bend Tragedy

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A woman from Wasilla is recalling her experience as a survivor of the 1998 Thurston High School shooting in Springfield, Oregon, following a tragic incident on Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, where a 16-year-old shot and killed four individuals.

Sara Williams spoke to Alaska’s News Source, remembering vividly how she was just 18 when the shooting occurred in her school cafeteria. “In hindsight, like it was so surreal, right? You just don’t understand what’s happening until you realize like you hear the gunshots, but then, and then people start screaming and then the reality of things begins to hit,” she explained. Williams recounted a close encounter with a bullet and the moment she witnessed her best friend injured during the chaos.

The incidents share notable parallels, such as the quick response of bystanders. Police Chief Mike Krantz stated that a community member intervened during the Bend shooting, ultimately stopping the shooter. In 1998, Williams remembered how fellow students were instrumental in disarming the shooter at her school.

Williams expressed hope that the actions taken by bystanders in Bend represent a shift towards proactive interventions to prevent such occurrences. She underscored the need for addressing mental health and societal trauma, emphasizing, “Can we please address the pain? Can we address the trauma? Can we address the brokenness of humanity and start talking real life about it instead of trying to hide it like we do?” With the recent Bend shooting marking the 52nd school shooting in 2026 alone, these discussions remain crucial in seeking solutions.