A teacher who was shot as he tackled and disarmed a student at an Indiana school last week said on Monday his swift decisions “were the only acceptable actions” to save his seventh-grade students.

The family of the other person shot in the incident at Noblesville West middle school, 13-year-old student Ella Whistler, said she was in critical but stable condition. The school principal, Stacey Swan, said the student was improving.

The teacher, Jason Seaman, spoke publicly for the first time since the shooting on Friday, and thanked the Noblesville community for its support. He also praised Ella Whistler and urged everyone to think about her.

“Her courage and strength at such a young age is nothing short of remarkable,” Seaman said. “We all should continue to keep her in our minds as she continues to recover.”

Seaman is credited with stopping an armed student who entered his classroom. The 29-year-old science teacher, a former college football player, was shot but not seriously injured.

“I want to make it clear that my actions on that day, in my mind, were the only acceptable actions I could have done given the circumstances. I deeply care for my students and their well-being. That is why I did what I did that day.”

Seaman spoke for just a few minutes and declined to answer questions.

An online fundraiser for him surpassed its $55,000 goal by Sunday afternoon. A local high school student launched the effort. Donations ranged from $10 to more than $3,000.

A student witness to the attack, Ethan Stonebraker, told ABC News that Seaman ran toward the bullets as students sought cover.

Seaman threw a basketball at the shooter and ran toward the bullets as screaming students sought cover, Stonebraker said. He said he knew the suspected gunman, whom he described as “a nice kid most of the times”, saying he often joked with the classmates.



“It’s just a shock he would do something like that,” Stonebraker said.

Authorities have not release the name of the suspect. Seaman was released from an Indianapolis hospital on Saturday.