SPOKANE, Wash. — This week, the Freeman Community continues sharing how the shooting at Freeman High School impacted their lives.
One teacher, Marty Jessett, told the judge what he witnessed just moments after the first gunshots were fired. Jessett said on the day of the shooting he heard several loud pops, the thunder of student footsteps, and screaming.
Then, he explained how he helped one of the injured students who ended up in his classroom.
"The bullets flew towards my room, and he ran out of bullets just outside of my door," Jessett said. "In fact, I know that he tried to shoot Emma a second time as she was entering my room."
Jessett secured his classroom with several students — including Emma Nees, one of the students who was shot. He told the judge the reality of what happened began to set in when a student in the classroom alerted him to Emma's gunshot wound.
"I literally reached for a band-aid in my desk to put on her gunshot wound," Jessett said. "Too small, I thought to myself. I found athletic tape in my cupboard and bandaged the wound on her belly. I put a big x over the wound. Then Ellie's voice from behind me, 'Mr. Jessett, don't you think you should call 911?'"
Jessett focused on trying to keep his students safe. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think they were sitting ducks.
"The vulnerable thought snuck in, 'what if the shooter or shooters come back?'" Jessett said.
Days later, when teachers and staff returned to school, Jessett said his classroom looked like a time capsule frozen on the day of the shooting.
"My room looked like a time capsule with every notebook, book, pencil and paper exactly where it had been when the first shot was fired," he said. "Even the geometry problem that I had up was still being projected onto the board with my document camera."
Jessett said it was difficult being back there and barely made it through the first day. But there was comfort in the notes, coffee and care packages the school received from the surrounding community.
Victim impact statements are on pause the rest of this week due to victim availability. More statements will be heard in court on Wednesday, Feb. 9.