Stopping the shooter: “Just part of the job”

by Jack Minor,  for the Greeley Gazette

Becky Brown does not consider herself to be a hero. When asked about her role in stopping the shooter at Deer Creek Middle school last week, she responded, “It’s just part of the job”.

Becky is no stranger to Greeley. Her father is Joe Murphy, a former Greeley City Councilman.

Becky has been with the Deer Creek Middle School for the past five years.

She graduated from Greeley Central High School in 1978.

Since the shooting the school has been bombarded with media requests. So many that they have referred calls to a media spokesperson. She mentioned they were interviewed by Megan Kelly on Fox News last Friday.

Becky told The Gazette she had a student in the office she was going to speak with when the shooting started. “The office was right by the front door so I was able to see what was going on and ran out there.”

Becky said that after the shooting began she came at the shooter, Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood, from the east while David Benke, a teacher, came at him from the west. “There was no rhyme or reason, he just started shooting.

He didn’t get very far, I believe he only got off three rounds.”

Benke tackled the shooter, stopping him from getting off additional rounds and Becky picked up the rifle to keep him from retrieving it.

Becky said in response to why she did what she did, “I don’t know why I did what I did, mostly because my kids and my staff were in trouble. I did know what kind of a gun it was since my dad went hunting.” She said although she had never fired a gun, her father taught them gun safety, so she knew to respect firearms.

Becky said the school has over 500 students and they are holding up well.

“The kids came back and we’ve been working with them. Running around the building, they seem happy, kids are resilient.”

She said, “The district has been really great. We have one extra counselor with every teacher today.”

Brown said that on the first day back, the school did not have any parents keeping their children out because of the shooting. “Almost everyone is here today.”

Those that were not there were out because of illness, she concluded.

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