As an Oregon community mourns 4 killed in school shooting, 2 wounded survivors remain hospitalized

Savannah Patton, a mother who has a 1st and 4th grader at the school, sat on the grass Saturday across from a memorial of flowers, stuffed animals and balloons, and wiped tears from her eyes.

She told an Associated Press reporter that the teacher who died, Megan Lambert, 25, had been a substitute for her daughter’s class last year.

Patton said she has struggled to explain what happened to her daughter, who asked her, “Mommy, why would someone want to take a gun and kill us at school?” Patton said it was a question she didn’t know how to answer.

Physical challenges won't keep her from “living with joy”

For several years, Saylor worked with students from Bend High School through the Sparrow Clubs, a volunteer group whose mission is to empower “kids to help kids in medical need” through kindness and community service, according to their website.