David Benke, Hero Teacher: Hailed for Tackling Gunman, Says He Hoped He Would Be Ready

By: Carlin DeGuerin Miller
Topics: Daily Blotter

(Personal Photo)

(CBS 4)

(Personal Photo)

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS/AP) David Benke says he has been thinking about the moment that he might have to act to protect his students, but he didn't know if it was "courage or stupidity."

Photo: Hero teacher Dr. David Benke.

PICTURES: Colorado Middle School Shooting

The Deer Creek Middle School math teacher is being credited with intercepting a gunman who shot two students outside the school, and preventing what could have been a far worse toll of violence.

"If something happens and there's something that I can do about it, I want to try and do something about it," an emotional Benke said at a news conference Tuesday with other staff members of the Littleton, Colo. school outside of Denver. "I said, 'I hope that I'm capable of doing something about it."

Photo: Alleged shooter Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood.

PICTURES: Colorado Middle School Shooting

Benke, a father of 7-year-old twins and a 13-year-old girl, is a 6-foot-5 former college basketball player who oversees the school's track team. He was monitoring the parking lot in the afternoon when he heard what he thought was a firecracker and began walking toward the noise.

Photo: Shooting victims students Reagan Webber and Matt Thieu.

PICTURES: Colorado Middle School Shooting

Authorities said 32-year-old Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood had already wounded two students, and seemed ready to unleash more violence when Benke sprung into action.

Benke said he confronted the gunman, tackled him and pinned him to the ground with the help of another teacher, stopping what could have been a much more violent encounter in a city all too familiar with tragic school shootings. The shooting occurred less than three miles from where the Columbine High School massacre happened nearly 11 years ago.

"At first when I was walking over there, it was kind of what a teacher does," Benke said, still shaken hours after the shooting. "`Hey kid, what are you doing,' you know that kind of thing."

"I grabbed him from the front and we were dancing around pushing and shoving," he said.

School officials praised the quick actions by Benke and his colleagues as further proof that preparations put in place after Columbine have paid off. But authorities are still investigating to better understand what happened, including why and for how long the alleged gunman, Eastwood, was inside the school building before the shooting.

As for Benke, he said he still wishes he could have done more, "it bugs me that he got another round off" before Benke tackled him to the ground.

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PICTURES: Colorado Middle School Shooting

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February 24, 2010 - Bruco Strongeagle Eastwood: Colo. Middle School Shooting Suspect Hears Voices, Used My Gun, Dad Says

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by cbsowen February 26, 2010 7:26 PM EST: Watched the news story on TV and couldn't believe how quickly the Vice Pricipal took the credit, saying it was her quick actions that saved "her kids" and "her teacher". Very sad that she couldn't let the guy who actually was the hero have his time to be appreciated and recognized. The school district should spend some money on counselling people like her to NEED less-especially when it comes to attention-and to SUPPORT more.; Reply to this comment


by TAHITIWAVE February 25, 2010 5:49 PM EST: To bad the stupid assistant Principal tried to take the spotlight at the press conference when maybe she should be thinking on how to prevent letting this idiot on campus earlier that day and planting rounds of ammunition around campus?...mmmmmmmmm; Reply to this comment


by TAHITIWAVE February 25, 2010 5:48 PM EST: To bad the stupid assistant Principal tried to take the spotlight at the press conference when maybe she should be thinking on how to prevent letting this idiot on campus earlier that day and planting rounds of ammunition around campus?...mmmmmmmmm; Reply to this comment

by inketolstoy February 25, 2010 4:30 PM EST

"School officials praised the quick actions by Benke and his colleagues as further proof that preparations put in place after Columbine have paid off."

I applaud the man and his heroic actions, but exactly how does an act of heroism provide proof that the preparations put in place after Columbine paid off. Its kind of like Homeland security saying that precations after 911 paid off when passengers beat the undpants bomber to keep him from setting off his bomb. Officials didn't prevent another Columbine from happening, David Benke did. Give the man a medal and tell officials to shut up.

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by TAHITIWAVE February 25, 2010 5:50 PM EST: To bad the stupid assistant Principal tried to take the spotlight at the press conference when maybe she should be thinking on how to prevent letting this idiot on campus earlier that day and planting rounds of ammunition around campus?...mmmmmmmmm