News

1 dead, several others injured in school shooting in Denver suburb

by Alicia Cohn and Zack Budryk - 05/07/19 4:44 PM ET

At least one student is dead and more than half a dozen others were injured after a school shooting at a Denver suburb on Tuesday, police said.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Twitter that one student, an 18-year-old male, had died.

It is with extreme sadness that we can confirm that 1 student at the STEM School was killed in today’s #stemshooting incident. The immediate family has been notified. Douglas County Coroner Jill Romann has not officially identified the student is stating it’s an 18 year old male.

— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) May 8, 2019

Police previously said that eight students had been injured and two suspects were in custody following the shooting.{mosads}

Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said during a news conference that several of the injured students were in critical condition at area hospitals.

The sheriff said that the two suspects were students, with one believed to be an adult male and the other a juvenile.

#stemshooting Sheriff says suspects 1 adult male, 1 juv male in custody. No other suspects. 8 students injured, several critical, area hospitals. No staff or officers injured. Working with DA to get search warrants for suspect car at school and suspects’ homes.

— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) May 7, 2019

The gunmen engaged students in two parts of the school, authorities said, with school officials quickly notifying authorities.{mosads}

“Over the next few minutes, quite a few shots were fired,” Douglas County Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth said, according to CNN.

“As officers were arriving at the school they could still hear gunshots,” Nicholson-Kluth said.

Spurlock said sheriff’s deputies began arriving within two minutes and engaged the suspects.

The White House issued a statement. “Our prayers are with the victims, family members, and all those affected by today’s shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Littleton, Colorado,” it said.

“Tragically, this community and those surrounding it know all too well these hateful and horrible acts of violence. The White House has been in communication with state and local officials, and the President has been briefed and continues to monitor the ongoing situation. We offer our full support to local law enforcement and first responders and thank them for their heroism,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said in the statement.

The local sheriff’s office initially reported an “active and unstable scene” at STEM School Highlands Ranch, a charter school about half an hour from Denver in the Highlands Ranch suburb.

The sheriff’s office instructed people to stay away from the school because of police activity, with SWAT clearing the school. Authorities asked parents to pick up their children from a nearby recreation center because of congestion.

#stemshooting, at 1:53 pm responded to STEM school off Ridgeline Blvd in HR on call of shots fired in school, first update, 2 injured, deputies in process of identifying and locating shooter(s). Still active and unstable scene.

— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) May 7, 2019

The SWAT team was on the scene as well as “a variety of other agencies,” according to law enforcement. While the school has a resource officer, law enforcement could not confirm whether they were present during the shooting.

LATEST: Authorities say two suspects in custody, multiple students hurt at STEM School; authorities are clearing the school room-by-room.

— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) May 7, 2019

“We are making all of our public safety resources available to assist the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department in their effort to secure the site and evacuate the students,” Gov. Jared Polis (D) said in a statement.

We are making all of our public safety resources available to assist the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department in their effort to secure the site and evacuate the students. We are monitoring the situation in real time. The heart of all Colorado is with the victims & their families.

— Jared Polis (@GovofCO) May 7, 2019

Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner (R) added that he was “closely monitoring” the situation.

I am closely monitoring the situation at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch. My prayers are with the students, parents and faculty members and I’m grateful to the first responders working to keep everyone safe.

— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) May 7, 2019

The shooting comes weeks after an alleged threat by a Florida teenager shut down schools in the Denver area, forcing thousands of students to stay home for a day as a precaution. The 18-year-old woman was later found dead in an apparent suicide, police said.

Authorities said that the teenager was obsessed with the Columbine school shooting and that the decision to shut down schools was prompted by a “credible threat.” Last month marked the 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, which left 12 high school students and a teacher dead.

This breaking news story was last updated at 8:58 p.m.