Two students are accused of killing a classmate and wounding eight others inside a Colorado charter school.
Kendrick Castillo, 18, died in the attack inside STEM School Highlands Ranch Tuesday. Some students tell CBS News three classmates, including Castillo, tried to take down the gunmen. Two of the wounded students are reported in serious condition.
Police identified one suspect as 18-year-old Devon Erickson. They have not named the other, who is legally underage.
The local sheriff said neither Erickson nor the other suspect was known by law enforcement to be a threat to the community, reports CBS News correspondent David Begnaud. Police searched Erickson’s home Tuesday and a towed a car from the garage.
Student Michael Schwartz said Erickson did in the past talk about causing a lot of harm and sadness.
“I always thought he was just messing around and stuff, but sometimes he did hint at it here and there,” Schwartz said.
Chaos and fear erupted in the hallways as gunshots rang out.
“We heard like really big bangs which I assume are gunshots,” Mia Bash said.
“Everyone was sort of spread out across the room just hiding,” another student said.
Police said Erickson and the other student opened fire inside classrooms just before 2 p.m. local time.
“At first I thought it was just a drill but like as I as it went on, like I heard yelling, like at first a younger voice and then I heard police a little bit later,” a student said.
Within two minutes, police were at the scene.
“We did struggle with the suspects to take them into custody and they are in custody right now,” Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said.
Frantic parents reunited with children at a nearby recreation center after students were evacuated.
Fernando Montoya said his son was shot three times, but was released from the hospital Tuesday. He said his son saw the shooting unfold.
“All of a sudden a guy pulled I believe a pistol, I’m not sure, out of a guitar case and start to shoot,” Montoya said.
While hundreds of kids began running for safety, heroes emerged from houses nearby.
“The kids were running away from the school and there were several police officers running toward the school,” Rocco DeChalk said. He lives a few houses from the school. He said he helped a student wounded in the grass near his home.
“He had a friend with him. His friend was applying pressure to his back where he was shot,” DeChalk said.
DeChalk took the student inside his home and bandaged him before an ambulance arrived.
“The true hero in my opinion is his friend who… stayed with him in an active shooting environment… and applied pressure to his wound the entire time. He is truly a hero,” DeChalk said.
This happened about eight miles from Columbine High School where 12 students and a teacher died in a shooting 20 years ago last month.
