Student Wanted For Shooting Two Employees At Denver High School

Police car with blue lights on the crime scene in traffic urban environment.

Photo: iStockphoto

Authorities are actively searching for a juvenile boy who's accused of shooting two faculty members at East High School in Denver Wednesday morning (March 22). Officers and emergency responders arrived on the scene "very quickly" after the shooting was reported around 9:50 a.m., according to Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said.

They found two men, both school administrators, with gunshot wounds and rushed them to the hospital. One suffered is undergoing surgery due to life-threatening injuries, and the other was in stable condition, per CNN. A student was also taken to the hospital due to an allergic reaction but wasn't hurt in the shooting, Denver police added.

Authorities said the shooter opened fire in an office setting away from students before fleeing. The school went into lockdown shortly after, and officials are still searching for the suspect.

“We will find that suspect, and we will hold that suspect accountable for his actions this morning in placing everyone in danger and certainly wounding the two staff members who were doing their job and trying to keep everyone safe at the time," Mayor Michael Hancock said.

The suspect wasn't named due to his age, but the police know who he is. He was described as a Black American juvenile with an afro and wearing a hoodie with an astronaut on it. He's considered "armed and dangerous and willing to use the weapon," Hancock said.

According to Thomas, the teenager was on a school safety plan where he was patted down every day. The weapon used in the shooting hasn't been recovered.

After shots rang out, students were told to stay in period classes until further notice. By 11:30 a.m. students were either picked up by parents, waited for their bus, or were escorted to their vehicles if they drove to the school, KUSA reported.

This comes weeks after Luis Garcia, an East High School student, died after he was shot by suspects in a stolen car on February 13.

The school will be closed for the rest of the week, and when classes resume, there will be two armed police officers there for the rest of the school year.

"I'm deeply sorry that we're here," Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero said. "I really really feel that we shouldn't be here, but here we are."

This is a developing story.


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