In a high school in Colorado, a student shot and killed two school officials.

March 23, 2023
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On Wednesday, a shooting occurred at East High School in Denver where a 17-year-old student shot and injured two administrators before fleeing the scene. Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas reported that the victims were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Following the shooting, the suspect’s vehicle was found in Park County, and authorities began searching for the suspect. During the search, a body was found in the woods close to the suspect’s car. Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw did not confirm the body’s identity, stating that identification would be made on Thursday morning. McGraw did express that local residents should feel relieved and that “it’s over,” implying that the suspect had been located. However, he did not reveal how the person died. Later, the shelter-in-place order for Park County was lifted.

The suspect was later identified by police as Austin Lyle, 17, and was described as a Black male, 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. The police shared his picture on social media but initially did not reveal his identity during a press conference as he is a juvenile. The suspect was believed to be associated with a 2005 red Volvo XC90 with Colorado license plate BSCW10 and was last seen wearing a green hooded sweatshirt with an astronaut on it.

The police confirmed that the suspect was wanted for attempted homicide, and Mayor Michael Hancock promised to hold him accountable for his actions. One of the victims, Jerald Mason, was released from the hospital, while the other victim, Eric Sinclair, remained in serious condition, according to Denver Health.

According to the police chief, while two administrators were conducting a morning search of a student under a “safety plan,” a handgun was found and several shots were fired. The student was being searched at the beginning of each school day, though details about the reason for the daily searches were not disclosed by officials. The searches took place in a secluded office area at the front of the school, away from students. Previously, no weapons had been found on the student during these searches. As of Wednesday afternoon, police had not yet located the gun used in the shooting and were searching the student’s home for evidence. Paramedics were able to provide immediate assistance to the injured administrators because they were already at the school to treat a student with an allergic reaction, according to Hancock.

Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero has announced that the school would be closed for the rest of the week and students were being released early following a shooting incident. As a safety measure, two armed officers will be assigned to the school until the end of the school year. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock expressed his concern over the removal of school resource officers and called for their return, stating that it was a mistake to remove them. The incident occurred just a little over a month after the death of 16-year-old Luis Garcia, who was shot near East High School. In the current school year, 10 guns have been confiscated from students in Denver schools between the start of the school year and February, according to Denver Public Schools.