Thread: Guard at Colorado school shooting may have shot at deputies, wounded student

Guard at Colorado school shooting may have shot at deputies, wounded student amid chaos: Source

• By CLAYTON SANDELL
• , BILL HUTCHINSON
• andMATT GUTMAN

May 9, 2019, 3:22 PM ET



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An armed security guard at a Colorado school may have mistakenly fired on sheriff's deputies and wounded a student amid a highly chaotic shooting rampage at the campus this week, authorities told ABC News on Thursday.

Investigators are probing the security guard's actions during the chaos that broke out Tuesday afternoon at the Highlands Ranch STEM School when two students allegedly opened fire on classmates, killing one student and injuring others, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News.

Detectives are trying to determine if gunshots directed at Douglas County Sheriff's deputies responding to the scene were mistakenly fired by the security guard, whose name has not been released, and whether the guard shot and wounded a student during the episode, a law enforcement official said.

Rick Wilking/Reuters
Students hug at a vigil for the victims of the shooting at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch, Colo., May 8, 2019, as Sen. Michael Bennett speaks.more +

The source cautioned that the investigation is in the early stages and investigators are speaking with the security guard to determine all the facts.

A Douglas County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman would not comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said the security guard restrained one of the shooting suspects until deputies arrived.

(MORE: 1 student dead, 8 injured in Colorado school shooting, authorities say)

The school’s security officer is employed by BOSS High Level Protection.

Joe Amon/Denver Post via AP
Devon Erickson, an accused STEM school shooter, answers the judge during his advisement at the Douglas County Courthouse in Castle Rock, Colo., May 8, 2019.more +

The twist in the investigation was first reported by NBC affiliate station KUSA-TV in Denver.

Grant Whitus, chief executive officer of Boss High Level Protection, told ABC News on Thursday that the guard was interviewed by investigators for about an hour following the shooting and was released. He declined to elaborate on what the guard told investigators.

He said the guard has not been interviewed since.

Whitus said his security guards are armed with 9mm handguns and follow the same rules of engagement as law enforcement officers: Guards may only discharge their weapons in the event of an imminent threat of life.

(MORE: 'Hero' student describes how he, 2 classmates thwarted suspect in Colorado school shooting)

Just before 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday, a pair of alleged gunmen, both students at the school, opened fire at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch. An 18-year-old student, identified as Kendrick Castillo, was shot to death when he charged one of the gunmen inside a classroom in an attempt to stop the shooting, police and witnesses said.

Rachel Short via AP
This undated photo provided by Rachel Short shows Kendrick Castillo, who was killed during a shooting at the STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Highlands Ranch, Colo.more +

Castillo and another student were able to disarm one of the alleged shooters and pin him to the ground, fellow student Brendan Bialy told ABC News.

(MORE: Deadly Colorado school shooting revives memories of past tragedies)

"There was no questioning. There was no hesitation. There was no looking around," Bialy, 18, said of Castillo.

Nick Cote/The New York Times via Redux
A police officer stands outside the STEM School Highlands Ranch in Highlands Ranch, Colo., May 8, 2019.more +

Both suspects appeared in court Wednesday afternoon. The adult suspect, 18-year-old Devon Erickson, has been charged with murder. The other suspect, a juvenile, has not been identified and any charges against him are not yet known.

Police have yet to comment on a motive for the shooting.

The shooting happened less than 10 miles from Columbine High School, where on April 20, 1999, two gunmen, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, shot and killed 12 classmates and a teacher.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/colo...ry?id=62936554

1 student dead, 7 students injured in Colorado school shooting, 2 students in custody

High-ranking sources say STEM School armed guard may have mistakenly fired at deputies

Posted: 9:22 AM, May 09, 2019
Updated: 1 hour ago
By: Stephanie Butzer , David Klugh , Jennifer Kovaleski



Photo by: Tom Cooper/Getty Images



HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — Shortly after a deputy rushed into Highlands Ranch Colorado STEM school Tuesday afternoon in response to an active shooter, he ran back out of the school and told his superior the school security guard had fired at him, a high-ranking source close to the investigation told Denver7.

ABC News first reported that investigators were trying to figure out how and why the security guard had fired at the deputy, and whether it was a mistake. A high-ranking source has confirmed this to Denver7.

Authorities are also investigating if the guard accidentally shot an innocent student as the scene unfolded Tuesday.

Eight students were injured and one student, 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo , was killed after two gunmen entered the school shortly before 2 p.m. on Tuesday. As of Wednesday evening, two students remained in the hospital — one was in fair condition and one was in good condition.

The school does not have a school resource officer, but does employ private, armed security through BOSS High Level Protection. Robert Burk, the attorney for the security guard, said his client is a highly trained Marine Corps veteran who worked for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for four years.

A second high-ranking source said video surveillance from the school doesn’t show who was struck by the gunfire. They told Denver7 that investigators have learned the gunmen were in two different rooms and the security guard only knew where one of them were. The guard may not have known who was arriving to help, who was a suspect and who was an innocent student, the source said. The guard may have shot two rounds near SWAT teams.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said he believed the guard had restrained one of the suspects when deputies got to them.

The second anonymous high-ranking source said one of the bullets that struck the student did not come from a gunman’s firearm. Authorities are now investigating whether or not that bullet came from the security guard’s firearm or another deputy.

The student’s condition is not clear, according to ABC News.

Burk said he knows the guard did everything he could to protect the children.

“When he heard what was happening over the radio, he ran to the site of the incident and he took every action he could to protect the children," he said.

He said he could not elaborate because of the ongoing investigation.

“From what I've talked to him about — his response was everything you could expect from a security guard,” Burk said.

Robert Burk

The situation was a little confusing, he said, since no single person had all the information. To his understanding, the guard did take down one of the shooters and helped to resolve the situation without further bloodshed or loss of life, he said. He said he doesn't have any information on if the guard fired a weapon at a child, but has no reason to believe that.

"I know that my client is a hero and I know that he did everything in his power to protect the kids, and the staff and the faculty that he knows and works with every day,” Burk said.

He couldn't say if the guard had been interviewed by police, but does not expect charges to be filed against the guard.

"Like I said, he did everything he could to protect those kids but as to the mindset of the DA or the police I just don't know."

A Douglas County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman said she would not comment Thursday morning, citing the ongoing investigation.

The school’s security officer is employed by BOSS High Level Protection. Burk said the company does a lot of training for general security and active shooter situations.

The company’s CEO, Grant Whitus, said he was unaware of reports his employee may have fired at a deputy and possibly hit a student.

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