Students credit teacher with saving lives, describe moments inside classroom

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- (WXIN) -- Students are describing the harrowing moments a classmate opened fire inside a classroom, while crediting their teacher, a hero, with saving their lives at Noblesville West Middle School.

Police said a student, Ella Whistler, and teacher, Jason Seaman, were injured in the shooting and the suspect, a student, was taken into custody.

"I'm really grateful for him to be there because without him, I'm not sure if all of us would have made it," Carter Sutherland, 12, said.

Sutherland said they were in the middle of taking a test during their second period. A classmate asked to go to the restroom and when the student returned, started firing.

"He walked in and he just had a gun in his hand and he was, just started waving it around and he took about 4 to 5 maybe 6 shots," said another student who asked to remain anonymous.

"Everybody got down and the person right next to me I saw fall down," Sutherland said.

They describe students in a panic as the shots were fired.

"He started shooting at Mr. Seaman and everybody started screaming and freaking out and Mr. Seaman ran up and tackled him and secured him," Sutherland said.

"Then he started screaming to call 911 and get out and we realized he had gotten him to the ground and the gun was out of his hands," another student said.

The students said while Seaman stopped the shooter, they ran out of the school, down a sidewalk and called their parents. With each step they took and each hour that's passed since the shooting, there's a chilling realization of what happened and what their teacher did in that moment.

"He's a hero. If he didn't do anything, he probably would have continued shooting and a lot more of us would have been injured and possibly killed," a student said.

"It's pretty scary. I've done a lot of thinking, I'm still trying to really understand what happened, I'm still trying to process it," Sutherland said.

Sutherland and his family said they are eternally grateful to Seaman and praying for everyone involved.

Seaman released a statement Friday:

"First of all, thank you to the first responders from Noblesville and Fishers for their immediate action and care. I want to let everyone know that I was injured but am doing great. To all students, you are all wonderful and I thank you for your support. You are the reason I teach."

He was listed in good condition will Whistler remains in critical.