David Phenix, a math teacher who was wounded in the Apalachee High School shooting on September 4, has broken his silence on the incident and his recovery.
RELATED: Georgia Bureau Of Investigation Reveals More Details About The Moments Before The Apalachee High School Shooting
Here’s What David Phenix Shared
According to CNN, Phenix is a math teacher at Apalachee High School. On Sunday, September 15, he took to Facebook to share a message about the incident. Additionally, Phenix began his post by sharing a message about the four victims whose lives were claimed in the shooting.
“To put into words the events of these past days escape all description. 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… processing the reasons behind September 4th will be a long road which will most likely, never be truly understood,” he wrote. “The pangs of sorrow and grief for the families of Ricky, Christina, Mason, and Christian stay at the forefront of everything. Families were shattered and worlds were turned upside down. Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters were lost, and lives were changed forever. Please continue to pray for each of these families. I am sure they are hurting and heartbroken at a level few of us understand.”
As his message continued, Phenix explained that his recovery has involved “stitches, staples, and bandages.” Additionally, he will even be attending physical therapy.
“I was incredibly blessed that the bullet that went into my side and the one that entered my foot managed to miss every vital ligament, tendon, bone, and organ,” he wrote. “Had things been a quarter inch to the left or right, things could have been vastly different. 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…”
Before concluding his message, Phenix thanked his co-teacher and two students for pressurizing his gun wounds in the moments after he was shot. Additionally, he shared a message of gratitude for the first responders, and his family and friends.
Read his full message below.
Here’s What Happened To The Teacher During The Apalachee High School Shooting
According to CNN, Phenix reportedly heard “banging sounds” disturbing his class on the morning of September 4. He was shot in his foot and hip after he opened his classroom door. However, he managed to shut it immediately afterward.
Nicole Biondi, a parent of one of Phenix’s students, reportedly credited the teacher’s action with saving student’s lives.
“He saved my baby. He saved my world,” she reportedly wrote on Facebook, per CNN.
According to the outlet, Phenix spent more than eight days recovering in the hospital after the incident. Furthermore, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that the teacher was the only adult left wounded after the shooting, in addition to six students.
At this time, their conditions remain unclear.
Here’s The Most Recent Update On The Case
As The Shade Room previously reported, 14-year-old Colt Gray initiated gunfire at the school on September 4. Fourteen-year-old Mason Schermerhorn, 14-year-old Christian Angulo, 53-year-old Christina Irmie, and 39-year-old Richard Aspinwall lost their lives during the incident.
RELATED: UPDATE: Colt Gray’s Mother Reportedly Warned Apalachee High School Moments Before Deadly Shooting
Since then, Colt has been hit with murder counts, while his father, Colin Gray, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree murder, and child cruelty. As The Shade Room previously reported, authorities believe Colin purchased the AR-style rifle his son allegedly used in the shooting despite being aware of potential school shooting threats Colt was suspected to have made in 2023.
RELATED: UPDATE: 2023 Bodycam Footage Shows Colt Gray & His Father Being Interviewed After Alleged School Shooting Threats
Per The Shade Room, the GBI believes that Colt carried the firearm into the school, asked to use the restroom, and later began the shooting. Colt’s mother, Marcee, has since penned an open letter to the victims’ families, asserting that her son is “not a monster” and she would trade places with the victims.
Meanwhile, behind bars, Colin has reportedly requested separation from jail inmates due to reported death threats.
