Developing Story: Arapahoe High School Shooting

During a school shooting, at least two students of Arapahoe High School were injured. The shooter most likely died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Today is a solemn reminder of why the Code Red policies have recently been changed and of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. one year ago tomorrow.

The shooter has been identified and is a student at Arapahoe as well, but his name has not been released. He was apparently searching for a specific teacher by name. The teacher made a very “tactical decision” by leaving the school in the hopes the shooter would leave the school as well and was praised by the leader of the investigation for that decision. When the shooting began at 12:33 p.m., he shot two of his classmates and himself.

A female student was shot in the head and is in serious condition. Another student suffered a minor gunshot wound.

Students were still being released one by one after being checked out at 3 p.m. on Friday, the day of the shooting. First responders in the area are taking extreme care to make sure there are no other shooters in the area and that all students are safe.

The responders on the scene have practical experience with shootings because the Aura movie theater shooting of 2012 and the Columbine High School shooting of 1999 were all within a few miles of Arapahoe High School. The responders used the “Active Shooter Protocol” which mandates police look for the shooter first to eliminate the threat. This protocol is used across the state of Colorado.

There may have been a molotov cocktail explosive in the school area, but it and others suspected explosives are under investigation and a regular precaution during any emergency.

Due to the amount of police presence and the ongoing investigation the immediate area around the school will be closed until at least 10 p.m. tonight.