Student killed near Columbine
Eight wounded and critical, two suspects held
HIGHLANDS RANCH (Colorado): A teenaged student was fatally shot and multiple others were wounded in a school shooting by fellow pupils in the US state of Colorado, across town from one of the worst gun massacres in the country’s modern history.
“It is with extreme sadness that we can confirm that one student at the STEM School was killed,” the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter, putting the deceased victim’s age at 18.
Sheriff Tony Spurlock had earlier said several of the wounded students – of whom there were a total of eight – were in critical condition, including some in surgery. No staff or teachers were known to be hurt. The youngest injured student was 15.
Two suspects were in custody – an adult man and a male youth. Both attended the school. There were no further suspects.
The two individuals “walked into the STEM school, got deep inside the school and engaged students in two separate locations,” the sheriff added, noting the shooting took place at the high school, where students spend the last four years before college.
“We have no information about anyone being targeted.”
A handgun was recovered at the scene. Spurlock said the school notified first responders “almost immediately” and deputies arrived to the scene about two minutes later.
“I have to believe that the quick response of the officers that got inside that school helped save lives,” the sheriff said.
The STEM School Highlands Ranch, a kindergarten through 12th grade institution in central Colorado with a student population of around 1,800, is located around 8km by road from Columbine High School. The school was closed for several hours as a large police contingent was deployed at the site. The lockdown was lifted around 3pm.
Security measures were taken at several area schools and parents of STEM students were asked to pick up their children at a site near the school.