Georgia teacher David Phenix was in his classroom at Apalachee High School when he was struck by two bullets — but he said he’s “incredibly blessed.”
“The bullet that went into my side and the one that entered my foot managed to miss every vital ligament, tendon, bone, and organ. Had things been a quarter inch to the left or right, things could have been vastly different,” Phenix said in an emotional statement on Facebook.
“Physically, there are stitches, staples, and bandages to be removed and physical therapy to be endured,” Phenix said. “Mentally, will be just as challenging. I am sure trying to truly wrap my brain around what happened on September 4th will require just as much rehab.”
Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student, is accused of killing four people and injuring nine others at Apalachee High School on Sept. 4.
Seven of the nine people who were hurt suffered gunshot wounds, including Phenix.
In his new statement on Facebook, Phenix expressed deep gratitude for those who took his “life in their hands” amid the “chaos.”
He thanked his co-teacher who he said “put pressure on my wound while, at same time, managing and calming a class of 23 scared, terrified, and panicked teenagers.”
He thanked the two 14-year-olds who he said filled in putting pressure on his wound while the co-teacher called for help. “You both are exceptional young people and have my everlasting gratitude,” he wrote.
Phenix shouted out the first responders, law enforcement, nurses and doctors who stepped in that day, as well as his wife and two daughters for their emotional support.
He also expressed his appreciation to the community for their “outpouring of encouragement, support, love and compassion.”
As he recovers, Phenix said the “pangs of sorrow and grief for the families” of the two teachers and two students who were killed “stay at the forefront of everything.”
“Families were shattered and worlds were turned upside down,” he wrote. “Please continue to pray for each of these families.”
“The images, sights, sounds, and actions are immense and will be forever etched in my memory and will take weeks, months, and even years to process,” Phenix said. “Right now, my emotions are so much easier to describe than the justifications and reasons behind them. From anger to mourning to sadness to gratefulness to even feeling blessed to be able to sit here and write this post, processing the reasons behind September 4th will be a long road which will most likely, never be truly understood.”
Gray is charged with four counts of felony murder. More charges will be filed, prosecutors said.
The teen’s father, Colin Gray, is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the GBI said. He is accused of knowingly allowing his son to possess the weapon used in the shooting, according to the GBI.
