Denver school shooting: School board lifts ban on armed guards as students protest at Colorado Capitol
Austin Lyle was the prime suspect in the shooting at East High School in Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday morning
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The Denver school board has lifted its ban on armed guards and police officers in its schools in the wake of this week’s shooting.
On Thursday, the board voted unanimously in favour of temporarily suspending the almost two-year ban which was put in place as part of the racial reckoning after George Floyd’s 2020 murder.
The same day, a crowd of students held a rally at the Colorado state Capitol calling on lawmakers to take greater action on gun control and school safety following Wednesday’s violence.
Austin Lyle, a 17-year-old student, allegedly shot two faculty members at East High School on Wednesday morning while he was being searched for weapons.
The teenager had been required to be patted down each day at school due to his record, police said.
After the shooting, Lyle allegedly killed himself while on the run from police.
His body was found hours later in some woods close to his abandoned red Volvo.
The two victims – Eric Sinclair, a dean of culture, and Jerald Mason, coordinator in restorative practice – were rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds. Mr Sinclair remains in critical condition while Mr Mason was later released after treatment.
One staff member remains in critical condition
One of the staff members shot in Wednesday’s incident remains in critical condition.
Suspected shooter Austin Lyle opened fire inside East Denver High School, striking Eric Sinclair, a dean of culture, and Jerald Mason, coordinator in restorative practice.
After opening fire, the suspect fled the scene.
The two faculty members were rushed to hospital where Mr Sinclair remains in critical condition.
Mr Mason was released from hospital later on Wednesday after treatment.
Parent considers taking daughter out of school for remainder of academic year
East High School, not far from downtown near a busy street that cuts through the city, was placed on lockdown as police investigated the shooting.
Hundreds of parents lined up along a road near the school, with the scene sealed off by police.
Some parents and students vented frustration over violence at the school as they surrounded the police chief. Others argued about the causes of the violence.
Police Chief Ron Thomas listened quietly, nodding and promising to engage with the school board.
At the edge of the crowd, a man said the city’s school board members should be recalled for getting rid of police in school, telling a police officer nearby “I just want you to be able to do your job.”
Another man shouted that it was a problem of “evil in the world” while a girl responded that the violence wouldn’t happen if guns weren’t so easily available.
Parent Jess Haase said her daughter, a senior, texted while hiding in a classroom with the lights off during the lockdown. Haase said lockdowns have happened too frequently at the school this year and she was frustrated. She planned to talk to her daughter about taking her out of school for the rest of the school year.
“I am sick of it,” she said.
Denver Public School confirmed the victims were administrators.
Wednesday was also the second anniversary of 10 people being shot and killed at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she wasn’t sure whether President Joe Biden had been briefed on the school shooting, but said, “Our hearts go out to the families of the two school administrators in Denver today, and to the entire school community.”
She repeated Biden’s call for stricter gun laws, including bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, and for Congress to “do something” on gun control.
PICTURED: Suspect Austin Lyle
Why was Austin Lyle searched upon entering school campus?
Austin Lyle, the suspected gunman in the East High School shooting, reportedly opened fire while being searched by two deans before the start of classes.
It has since been revealed that Lyle was subject to search at the beginning of each day under a school safety agreement.
Denver7 reported that daily searches are only put in place when a student has committed a serious act of violence.
While the specifics of what led to Lyle being subject to search are not confirmed, it is believed to be linked to his prior record.
Law enforcement sources told CBS Colorado that the 17-year-old had been arrested back in 2021 for possession of a ghost gun and a high capacity magazine.
His arrest came when he was a student at Overland High School and some fellow students reported photos on social media showing Lyle with a gun, the sources said.
A search of the teenager’s home then uncovered the ghost gun and magazine. He was later expelled from the school and began attending East High School.
How was Austin Lyle able to flee after shooting?
Questions remain over how Austin Lyle was able to escape campus and go on the run after allegedly shooting two staff members at East High School.
The shooting unfolded just before 10am on Wednesday, plunging the school into lockdown. Shortly after, authorities confirmed that the suspect was still at large.
Hours later, police released a photo of Lyle identifying him as the suspected shooter.
Members of the public were warned that the student – who was wearing a hoodie with an astronaut on it and was believed to be in a 2005 red Volvo XC90 with a Colorado licence plate – should be considered “armed and dangerous”.
Not long later, the car was located – with Lyle’s body discovered nearby.
Authorities have not commented on why Lyle was not apprehended at the scene, or why it took so long to find him.
Gun violence in America, by the numbers
The Denver shooting is the latest instance of gun violence across the US.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, 9,393 people have died in gun violence this year, including 5,412 by suicide.
Within that total, 328 teens have died from firearms.
What are ghost guns, the weapons alleged Denver gunman was arrested for
Austin Lyle, the alleged student gunman in the Denver shooting, was reportedly previously arrested for posession of a ghost gun, a weapon, often hommade, that lacks a serial number, making it untraceable.
Denver student, 17, was arrested over ghost gun two years before high school shooting
Austin Lyle, 17, was arrested in 2021 for possession of a ghost gun and high capacity magazine
As a result, the 17-year-old was required to be searched for weapons each day upon his arrival at East High. He allegedly shot two teachers during this search process on Wednesday.
Here’s some of our reporting on ghost guns over the years.
California adds laws targeting ghost guns, sales to minors
California already has some of the nation’s toughest gun laws, but it has added new restrictions on untraceable “ghost guns” and limiting marketing firearms to minors
Students recount Denver school shooting that wounded 2 faculty members
Students at Denver’s East High School say they were both shocked and “numb” to the news that their campus was the site of the latest school shooting in America.
The school, like many in the US, has experienced violence before.
“I started hearing sirens — fire truck sirens — in the area and started running toward the school,” junior Tyrone told Denver 7. “[But] I looked at the building and the students started running. I saw students in classrooms ducking their heads.”
“We’re just kind of numb to it at this point since this has happened so much,” another student, Aubriana Acuna, said. “Like second time this month. I think it’s insane. It’s really not fair at all.”
A 16-year-old named Luis Garcia was shot near the school in February.
“That really shook up the community,” a sophomore named Chase Chavez told the station. “So when I heard it, I got really scared because I’m like, you know, it could be a repeat of it.”
Denver shooting revives calls for armed officers in school
Wednesday’s shooting at a Denver high school has prompted calls from local officials to bring armed police officers back on campus.
In 2020, the city school board voted unanimously to remove police from schools amid the racial justice protests that year following the murder of George Floyd, citing the disproportionate rates youth of colour are targeted by campus officers.
“What we saw in our streets was a reaction to what we will no longer tolerate,” said board member Tay Anderson said at the time. “This topic is not new or knee-jerk.”
In a letter to the board on Wednesday, superintendent Alex Marrero called for the officers to return to schools, including two being stationed at East High, the site of Wednesday’s shooting.
“I can no longer stand on the sidelines,” Mr Marrero wrote in the letter, Chalkbeat Colorado reports.
The school board said it’s supportive of the move.
What we know about the victims of the Denver shooting
Two people were wounded on Wednesday in a school shooting in Denver.
A Denver Public Schools spokesperson told CNN the injured individuals are Erin Sinclair and Jerald Mason, who are the dean of culture and restorative practice coordinators, respectively.
One staffer member is in critical condition, while another suffered serious injuries but is in stable condition, according to Denver police.
The faculty were shot while searching alleged gunman Austin Lyle for weapons, given the student’s previous arrest for gun posession.
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