Student Shoots 2 Staff Members at Denver High School
Two faculty members at East High School in Denver were shot by a student and airlifted to the hospital on Wednesday morning, according to Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas. The shooting occurred at approximately 9:50 a.m. and police and medical responders arrived on the scene “very quickly” to find two adult men with gunshot wounds.
One faculty member is in stable condition, and the other is in critical condition and undergoing surgery, Thomas said.
The student then fled the school, and a search is currently underway for his whereabouts. “We are looking for the suspect,” said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. “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.”
The student suspected in the shooting is under 18 and was under a school safety plan that required him to be patted down each day, according to Chief Thomas. During Wednesday’s search, a handgun was retrieved, and it was found that several shots were fired in an office area in the front of the school, away from other students and staff.
East High School has approximately 2,500 students across 9th through 12th grades and is the largest and highest-performing comprehensive high school of all Denver Public Schools, according to the school system. Situated in the City Park neighborhood of the Colorado capital, the high school stands as a Denver Historic Landmark for its breathtaking architecture in the Jacobethan Revival style.
The shooting at East High School is just the latest in a series of gun tragedies that have plagued American schools in recent years. Despite increased efforts to improve school safety, including stricter gun control laws and enhanced security measures, these incidents continue to occur.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” said Mayor Hancock. “We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served and that this never happens again.”
